“Christian Miller teaches us that the road to virtue lies in humility about our own virtue and an acceptance that others are struggling with their flaws. This is a very valuable book at a moment when our society could use a dose of openness and a sense of forgiveness.”
E.J. Dionne Jr., Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and University Professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture, Georgetown University
Christian B. Miller, is a philosophy professor at Wake Forest University, where his primary research in contemporary ethics and philosophy of religion. A guest made to order for Contemplify. We talk about the importance of a philosophical structure while also being able to bend towards mystery, building character in the Instagram-age of personality, virtues and vices…and what does it mean to have character?
Christian Miller is the author of The Character Gap: How Good Are We? A book that invites you to reflect on your character, how it plays out in your daily life, and how you can develop your character virtuously. A lovely cocktail of deep ideas that enlightens, entertains and has direct personal applications for you to try on at home. You can get the bigger picture of Miller’s work at thecharacterproject.com.
You can follow Christian on Facebook and Twitter.
Episode Show Notes
Books by Christian Miller
Resources & People Mentioned
- Milgram Study
- C.S. Lewis
- Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis
- Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
- Immanuel Kant
- Aristotle
- Jon Stuart Mill
- Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
- The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
- A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Drinks Recommended
- Milk
- Gin & Tonic
- Arnold Palmer (Lemonade & Iced Tea)
Questions
- Where i am finding you today, what is the context of your setting?
- When you hear the word “contemplative”, how does that moniker relate to you or your work?
- If someone were going to teach a class on the ‘character’ formation of Christian Miller, what would be the 3 mandatory readings or works that formed you that would definitely be on that syllabus?
- You have written an intriguing book, The Character Gap: How Good Are We? There is a lot of research, stories, and opportunity for personal application in your book. How would you explain the arc of this book and who it is for to those unfamiliar with your work?
- Our culture lives in the celebration of personality, why focus your work and study on character in the age of personal branding?
- What longitudinal study on character would you fund if you had bottomless funding, time, and a team to see out the design?
- What projects are on the horizon for you?
- What drink would pair with this conversation?
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