Kierkegaard Scholar Named University Professor
Dr. C. Stephen Evans, former professor of philosophy and dean for research and scholarship at Calvin College, has joined the Baylor University faculty as University Professor of Philosophy and Humanities. The appointment was announced by Dr. Donald D. Schmeltekopf, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
"I am ecstatic about Stephen Evans joining Baylor's faculty," Schmeltekopf said. "He is known internationally for his work on (19th-century philosopher) Kierkegaard, which will definitely enhance the reputation of our already-strong philosophy department. In addition, he is a truly decent human being, one with whom it is a genuine pleasure to be associated."
In 1998, Baylor officials announced a seven-year initiative to add 20 high-profile scholars to the faculty as University and Distinguished Professors. Since that time, the university has hired three Distinguished Professors, who teach in a specific area, and now three University Professors, who teach classes across various disciplines.
Evans, an honor graduate of Wheaton College with a master's and doctorate from Yale University, had been a member of Calvin's faculty since 1994. Previous to that, he was on the faculty at St. Olaf College and served as curator of its Howard and Edna Hong Kierkegaard Library.
With his primary area of study on the philosophy of religion, Evans has focused much of his attention on Kierkegaard and is working on a book about the philosopher's Christian ethics as developed in Works of Love. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books, including Faith Beyond Reason and Passionate Reason: Making Sense of Kierkegaard's Philosophical Fragments. Although he is now on the Baylor faculty, Evans will be in Grand Rapids, Mich., until next summer when he and his family move to Waco.
In addition to Evans, 87 new full-time faculty will be joining Baylor this fall, bringing the total number of faculty to more than 700.