UO Students to The Zekelman Holocaust Center

On Thursday, November 13th, 2025, I was able to take the students in my “Religion and Philosophy in the Third Reich” course at The University of Olivet to The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills, MI. For many of the students, it was the first time they were confronted with artifacts and exhibits related to the mechanized mass extermination of a civilian population: the Jews of Europe. We had a wonderful guide, “Jimm,” who not only explained the many exhibits on display, but reminded the students about the categorical need to stand up to injustice, prejudice, violence, and genocide. If you haven’t been to The Zekelman Holocaust Center, I would strongly suggest a visit. It is well worth it. Below are just a few of the pictures taken on our visit:

November 15, 2025 0

Baccalaureate Speech at The University of Olivet

On Friday, May 16th, I had the distinct honor to address The University of Olivet’s 2025 graduating class during their Baccalaureate ceremony. Nominated by my student Lily Rozeveld and voted upon by the senior class, I was chosen to give a speech that would embody the theme of their event: “New Beginnings.” In my speech, entitled “From Catastrophe to New Beginnings,” I discussed the dialect of history using the 1946 “blinding of Isaac Woodard” as the animating subject. From the horror of the racist attack on Sgt. Woodard came the desegregation of the public schools throughout the United States. Woodard never knew that his case created the reverberations that changed history. Thank you Joylyn Stover for the audio recording and the Dr. Linda Logan for the picture. To hear the speech, see the YouTube link below.

May 28, 2025 0

Talking Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Fascism with Rudolf J. Siebert

On March 15th, 2025, I had the pleasure of discussing the life and work of the German Lutheran Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, with the critical theorist and theologian, Rudolf J. Siebert. We discussed the historicity of the 2024 movie, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin, and why it is important to remember individuals like Bonhoeffer who resisted fascism, especially in light of the latest rise of authoritarian populism in the West. We also discussed Bonhoeffer’s concept of “stupidity” and “cheap grace” among others. The discourse was sponsored by Ekpyrosis Press and the Institute for Critical Social Theory.

March 16, 2025 0

Just War Theory with Dr. Rudolf J. Siebert

On April 13, 2024, I had the great opportunity to talk with the Critical Theorist and WWII combat veteran, Rudolf J. Siebert, about St. Augustine’s Just War Theory, as well as its further development into international law. We also discussed the many times when the Just War Theory has been violated by those who proclaim their adherence to it, especially in the West. If you’d like more information on the work of Rudolf J. Siebert, see the website dedicated to his work: www.dialectical-religion.org