鈥淵ou鈥檒l never learn to read.鈥� Those words from an elementary school teacher stung聽Brandon Rickabaugh聽with crushing power that he can still feel today. Laboring with learning disabilities, the young Rickabaugh figured he was just stupid. 鈥淚f I couldn鈥檛 get something right off the bat, then I gave up,鈥� he said. So he dropped out of school at age 16.
Today you call him聽Doctor聽Rickabaugh. He鈥檚 a decorated scholar, 海角在线 professor and keynote speaker for the university鈥檚聽聽March 14-15. So what happened to the kid who thought he was stupid?
First, Jesus happened to him. Rickabaugh came to faith a few years after dropping out of school, and began attending a church where philosopher Dr. J.P. Moreland was teaching a class over several weeks. Moreland鈥檚 teaching 鈥渏ust opened up this world to me,鈥� he said.
Rickabaugh began to believe that questions he long had wrestled with could be answered. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been very, very perplexed, curious and frustrated with figuring out who I am.鈥� Coming from 鈥渁 very broken home,鈥� he suffered from a horrible self-image, longing for someone to believe in him and support him. He came to understand that 鈥渢he Lord believed in me, and was calling me to study.鈥�
He found people 鈥渨ho believed in me, and who saw things in me that I couldn鈥檛 see.鈥� And he began the process of learning how to learn 鈥渁nd learning that I could learn.鈥� It was a deep spiritual struggle, he said, but he went on to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine. Next came a master鈥檚 in philosophy from Biola University, and finally, in 2020, a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Baylor University, where he received the Outstanding Dissertation of the Year award.
Multiple honors followed. Named 2022 Early-Career Philosopher of Religion鈥痓y Tyndale House, University of Cambridge, Rickabaugh won a $200,000 research grant to further his work in public-facing philosophy and finish three academic books on the philosophy of mind and human consciousness. He joined Palm Beach Atlantic鈥檚 faculty as assistant professor of philosophy and research scholar in public philosophy. 鈥淏randon is a scholar鈥檚 scholar, but he also cares deeply about public-facing philosophy and speaking to the culture, to the church, in a language they can understand,鈥� said聽Dr. Paul Gould, director of 海角在线鈥檚聽.
But what Rickabaugh loves about his own story, he said, 鈥渋s that it cannot be explained on my own effort. There were just too many doors that opened, too many accomplishments that I have, that are so far beyond my natural abilities. And that, I think, is a huge, huge gift, this confidence in Jesus, that He cares about what I鈥檓 doing, cares about who I鈥檓 becoming,鈥� and provides the people along the way to help.
Philosopher Moreland has continued to be major help to Rickabaugh, and the two have recently finished writing a major academic book,聽The Substance of Consciousness: A Comprehensive Defense of Substance Dualism.
In all of his accomplishments, Rickabaugh sees 鈥淕od just showering me with encouragement. That鈥檚 what I want for others,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I want for my students.鈥�
Rickabaugh鈥檚 keynote address at 海角在线鈥檚 research conference is 11 a.m. March 15. His topic is 鈥淭o Have Eyes and Not See? Knowing Jesus in a Culture of Disillusionment.鈥� Look for it to be 鈥渁 charge to regain the vision that flipped the world upside down and started universities in the first place.鈥� And as you listen to Rickabaugh鈥檚 charge and philosophy, you might laugh as well as ponder. Comedy, he said, 鈥渃an reveal the absurdity of life apart from Christ in a way that gets past our defenses,鈥� and humor 鈥渟ignals that joy and rest are very good for our souls.鈥�
The research conference takes place in the university鈥檚 Weyenberg Center, on the second floor of the Lassiter Student Center. The conference schedule includes a variety of research presentations by 海角在线 faculty and students, as hinted by the samples below:
- 鈥淥ften Wrong, Never in Doubt: Mitigating Overconfidence in Leadership Decision-making,鈥� by Rinker School of Business faculty members聽Dr. Garrett Lane Cohee聽and聽Dr. Cora Barnhart. 鈥淟eaders are often celebrated for quick and decisive actions,鈥� say the professors. But 鈥渨hile decisiveness is admirable, poor decision-making is not.”
- 鈥淭argeting the TRPM8 Receptor: The Gateway for Anti-Cancer Properties Associated with Carvacrol – A Plant-Derived Bioactive Molecule,鈥� by student Allison Cool,聽Dr. Cidya Grant聽and 聽Dr. Christopher J. Hickey. The researchers found evidence for a possible therapeutic alternative to treat skin cancer.
- 鈥淒runk on Christianity: How Christian Families and Churches Unwittingly Play the Same Games as Alcoholic Families,鈥� by 2014 海角在线 graduate Peter Copan. He cites research saying that adult children of missionaries have 鈥渁lmost identical problems鈥� to adult children of alcoholics. He suggests paths toward post-traumatic growth for those looking for healing.
Presentations will be video recorded and made available for viewing on the web.
In addition to oral presentations, the conference features a variety of poster presentations by faculty and students. These will be on display at the Warren Library March 13-17.