For Dan Johnson, choosing to come to Baylor was a relatively easy decision. "One of the biggest reasons I was drawn to Baylor was that it is a community of faith as well as a philosophical community," the Ph.D candidate in Philosophy says.

Born and raised in Oregon, Dan received his bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious studies at the University of Oregon. However, his journey felt incomplete. "I wasn't able to bring my faith to bear on philosophical questions as much as I would have liked," he says. "Since almost nobody there found Christian theism to be remotely plausible, we never really were able to get past arguing over whether God exists or whether Christianity is true."

Of all the reasons Dan was drawn to Waco, Baylor's commitment to Christian principles and their ability to coincide with academic free-thinking were a welcome relief. "I'm able to do everything here I was able to do at Oregon™and I'm able to do more," he says. "I can allow my faith to inform my philosophy, and engage in philosophical discussion with others who do the same."

Dan's primary interests lie in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion, as well as in some modern philosophers like Kierkegaard. "Baylor is, in my opinion, the best place in the world to study Kierkegaard." The university's dedication to continued learning through financial support has also allowed Dan to attend multiple professional conferences a year.

While the academics have proved to be every bit as rewarding as he had hoped, there has been an aspect to his Baylor experience Dan found to be a nice surprise. "The faculty couldn't be more accessible; they are our friends as well as our teachers," he says. "Without exception they have a strong sense of responsibility for their students and care very much about their development and their overall good."

After graduation Dan plans to find a job where he can apply what he's learned during his time in Waco, but it will be bittersweet. "I'll be sad to leave when it is time – I have a hard time believing any place I end up will be as special or as welcoming a place as the Baylor philosophy department has been."