meet dr. burton

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Kelly Fitzsimmons Burton, Ph.D. teaches college Philosophy in Phoenix, AZ. Her first published work, Retrieving Knowledge: A Socratic Response to Skepticism is an adaptation of her doctoral dissertation. Kelly completed her doctoral work in Humanities with an emphasis in Philosophy at Faulkner University’s Great Books Honor’s College in April of 2017. 

Retrieving Knowledge is an exercise in what Kelly calls “retrieval philosophy.” Retrieval philosophy uses philosophical arguments from the past to address contemporary problems. Retrieving Knowledge is a close examination of Plato’s dialogue Theaetetus, particularly the definition of knowledge that is offered. Kelly argues that Socrates, the main character of the dialogue, defines knowledge as “true belief with an account.” She contrasts this definition with the contemporary definition of knowledge as “justified true belief,” and argues that the two definitions are not the same. 

In addition to a detailed argument about the definition and nature of knowledge, Kelly shows that Socrates argues against empiricism (all knowledge is through the senses), materialism (all is matter or nature), relativism (truth is according to the individual and ethics is according to the individual or the group), and lastly the pragmatism of the Sophists. Instead, Socrates thinks that knowledge is by reason, the soul exists as does some non-physical transcendent reality, and ethics is objective for all people. Kelly then suggests that we are living in a skeptical age similar to that of Socrates and the Sophists.

In chapter five of her work, Kelly creates a model for doing public philosophy based upon the character and content of the Socratic dialogue. She suggests that we may address the contemporary impasse in philosophy and its skepticism by retrieving some of Socrates arguments from the Theaetetus. 

Not being content with mere theorizing about public philosophy, Kelly decided to promote public philosophy by creating Public Philosophy Press, by adapting her dissertation to a broader public (though it is still academic in nature) and publishing it as Retrieving Knowledge: A Socratic Response to Skepticism, and in starting a public philosophy lecture series in the Greater Phoenix area. Kelly’s website may be found here. The Public Philosophy lecture hub in Phoenix may be found here. 

Kelly hopes that public philosophy will grow and expand as a movement, which includes but is not limited to, the retrieval of philosophy as it has been classically done. Check out her new book here. When not engaged in public philosophy, Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband and hiking with her two cattle dogs.

Sarah R. Enterline is a writer, apologist, pastor’s wife, mother, and teacher. She has undergraduate degrees in Biblical Studies, Christian Studies (Theology and Ministry), Social and Behavioral Science, and Philosophy; a CA State Credential in teaching History; and an M.A. in Christian Leadership.

In March of 2009, she founded The International Society of Women in Apologetics (WomenInApologetics.com). In 2016, she handed the reins over to two bright, upcoming female apologists and is proud that Women in Apologetics is growing and still going strong to this day!

She has taught apologetics at both Calvary Chapel Bible College and Maranatha Bible College. She is currently teaching history and Bible to middle and high school students at a private school in Temecula, CA. She also speaks at churches and conferences around the country and has frequently guested on numerous radio shows and podcasts.

She is also working as an apologist with the Library of Historical Apologetics and was a writer and editor on the Special Divine Action Project.

Sarah is married to Matt, a Pastor, and co-creator of Calvary Curriculum. She also has a 12-year-old son named Lochlann, who loves learning about the Bible, animals, Legos, and superheroes.

No Apologies is her first full-length book, and she hopes to continue a series on women in historical apologetics, as well as other curriculum and works.

Surrendra Gangadean,  is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus.  He has taught Philosophy at the college and university level for forty years, first at Phoenix College and then at Paradise Valley Community College. He has an M.A. degree in Literature from Arizona State University, and an M.A. degree in Philosophy from the University of Arizona, and a Ph. D. in Natural Theology from Reformed International Theological Seminary. He has taught courses in Philosophy, Religious Studies, Interdisciplinary Humanities, and Theology. Dr. Gangadean's first publication was Philosophical Foundation: A Critical Analysis of Basic Belief (Lanham: University Press of America; 2008), which is a critique of skepticism and fideism in support of the Principle of Clarity. The main thesis of the Principle of Clarity is that the basic things about God and man and good and evil are clear to reason. 

Public Philosophy Press is pleased to be publishing the Second Edition of Philosophical Foundation, which will be revised and updated. Look forward to the release of the Second Edition in the fall of 2022. 

Peter Redpath (Professor of Philosophy at St. John’s University, New York, from 1979 to 2010) is author /editor of 12 philosophical books and many dozens of articles and book reviews. An internationally recognized scholar, since 1980 he has given over 200 invited guest lectures nationally and internationally. Among his many accomplishments, he is Senior Fellow Center for the Study of The Great Ideas; co-founder of the Gilson Society (USA) and The International Etienne Gilson Society; former vice-president of the American Maritain Association; Founding Chairman of the Board of the Angelicum Academy; Member of the Board of the Great Books Academy; member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Advanced Philosophic Research; member of Board and Executive Committee of the Catholic Education Foundation; Academician of The Catholic Academy of Sciences (USA); former member of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs; former executive editor of Value Inquiry Book Series, the Studies in the History of Western Philosophy (SHWP), and current editor of the Gilson Studies (GS) special series for Brill Publishing; former associate editor, and former advisor to the journal Contemporary Philosophy; a member of the original editorial board of the political journal Telos; former member of the New York Press Club; recipient of St. John’s University’s Outstanding Achievement Award, and Socratic Fellowship Award from the Great Books Academy; inaugural inductee as distinguished alumnus of Xaverian High School; and former Graduate Fellow of SUNY at Buffalo.

Peter is presently founder and CEO of the Aquinas School of Leadership, Management, and Organizational Development; Rector and Senior Fellow of the Adler-Aquinas Institute, whose Chancellor is Fr. Joseph Fessio, founder and publisher of Ignatius Press. He is also Chair of a recently-established graduate concentration in Thomistic Studies at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and a contributing scholar in the Thomistic Studies graduate program at the University Abat Oliba in Barcelona, Spain.

Throughout his career, Peter has appeared on panels with, among others, Daniel Bell, Russell Berman, Sissela Bok, Robert Bork, John N. Deely, Jude P. Dougherty, Jean Bethke Elshtain, Amitai Etzione, Thomas Franck, John Lewis Gaddis, William Galston, Robert George, Mary Ann Glendon, John and Russell Hittinger, Paul Oskar Kristeller, Anthony Lewis, Herbert I. London, David Little, John Lukacs, Alasdair MacIntyre, Ralph McInerny, Eric McLuhan, Richard John Neuhaus, Michael Novak,  John O’Sullivan, Paul Ricoeur, Joel Rosenthal, Robert Royal, Oscar Schacter, James V. Schall, Richard Schoeck, Donald Schriver, Jr., Paul Sigmund, James Weisheipl, Ken Woodward, and Daniel Yankelovich.

Over the years, his scholarly research has been praised by thinkers such as Frederick C. Copleston, Michael Novak, Herbert I. London, Henry B. Veatch, Ralph M. McInerny, Mark Brumley, James V. Schall, and Jude P. Dougherty.

In 2014, Redpath's book A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics was listed by Mark Brumley, CEO of Ignatius Press, and James V. Schall, S.J. as among "The Best Books I Read in 2014" for The Catholic World Report.

Dr. Zachary D. Schmoll earned his Ph.D. in Humanities from Faulkner University after defending his dissertation entitled, Great Men? Considering Chesterton and Belloc’s Role in the History of the Distributist Movement. He also earned his M.A. in Apologetics at Houston Baptist University and was an Honors College Scholar while double majoring in Business Administration and Statistics at the University of Vermont.

Schmoll is honored to serve as the Managing Editor of An Unexpected Journal. An Unexpected Journal is a quarterly publication that seeks to demonstrate the truth of Christianity through both reason and the imagination to engage the culture from a Christian worldview. What began as an informal discussion among friends about the need for a journal of cultural apologetics has developed into a respected publication that has received contributions from some of the most important scholars in the field.  

His academic work has been published in the Journal of Faith and the Academy, Mythlore, Fourth World Journal, and Cistercian Studies Quarterly.  

Schmoll lives in rural Vermont where he enjoys power soccer, bonfires, and, sadly, the Philadelphia Phillies. Find him online at https://www.zacharydschmoll.com/

Rod Tussing’s work has been diverse and includes many years as a senior manager in the mechanical engineering / contracting industry, as well as being a small business owner and an adjunct college instructor.  His formal education includes a BA degree in Literature and an MA degree in Religious Studies from Arizona State University; an MA degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Philosophical Theology from the University of Aberdeen in the UK.  He has taught courses at Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Andrews Hall (a Reformed Episcopal Seminary), and is currently teaching at Paradise Valley Community College.  Courses Rod has taught include Philosophy, Ethics, Logic, Apologetics, World Religions, Philosophy of Religion, Introduction to Christianity, and Contemporary Western Religious Thought.

Rod not only enjoys studying philosophy and theology, but he and his wife delight in spending time with their children and grandchildren, as well as traveling to Western Europe and the UK to visit and reconnect with old friends.

Rod's book Religion and Science: Deconstructing a Modern Paradigm will be released in early 2019. The book is a critique of religion as a socially constructed device of Modernity.