Major in Philosophy

Dr. Matthew Wilson is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Gateway Director, and Faculty Fellow at the Center for Faith and Flourishing. He also holds an appointment as an Associate and Faculty Affiliate of Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program.

Dr. Wilson writes and lectures primarily on topics in virtue ethics and character, but he has philosophical interests that span from ancient and medieval philosophy to the writings of Soren Kierkegaard. He has published works in peer-reviewed journals, including The Journal of Value Inquiry, Southwest Philosophy Review, and Christian Business Review, and has presented at fourteen national and international conferences, including twice at the annual conference of the Jubilee Center for Character and Virtues in Oxford.

Prior to joining JBU, Dr. Wilson was the Associate Director of Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, where he oversaw program administration and helped grow the program from three to twelve associates and secure over $1.4 million in funding.

Dr. Wilson teaches several Gateway seminars every year along with a variety of classes within the philosophy curriculum. Some of his favorite classes to teach include Introduction to Philosophy, Ancient & Medieval Philosophy, and The Seven Deadly Sins. He also enjoys teaching Business Ethics and is able to relate many of his experiences from the eleven years he spent in corporate America. Dr. Wilson previously held positions in finance, marketing, and product management with Fortune 500 companies such as Volvo AB and Danaher Inc. He has an MBA from Indiana University and is passionate about coaching and equipping students who want to study philosophy in college yet who may wish to do something else (like business!) after graduation. He firmly agrees with Mark Cuban that a major or minor in philosophy equips one with the critical thinking and reasoning skills required to lead the organizations of the future.

Dr. Wilson and his wife, Angela, have two children: Evelina and Roy. They live in Siloam Springs and love to hike, camp, and are currently testing out their skills as beginning mountain bikers.

Dr. James (Jay) Bruce writes and lectures on philosophy, theology, politics, and economics—sometimes all at once. His first book, Rights in the Law, explores the relationship between God and morality in the thought of Francis Turretin (1623–1687). Dr. Bruce is currently writing a book on Christianity, justice, and equality. In 2014, he received JBU’s Faculty Excellence Award.

Dr. Bruce has presented papers at the American Philosophical Association, the American Academy of Religion, the Society of Christian Philosophers, the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and the Evangelical Theological Society, and he has commented on papers at both the American Philosophical Association and the Southwestern Philosophical Society.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Bruce has written for Acton Commentary, Law and Liberty, The Gospel Coalition, WORLD magazine, and The Wall Street Journal​. Though he doesn’t own a television, he has succumbed to the lure of social media. You can follow him on Twitter @JamesEBruce. He blogs at JamesEBruce.com.

In 2010, he delivered the Logos Lecture at Dartmouth College; in 2011, the Balzer Lecture at JBU; since 2014, he has lectured each June at the Acton Institute’s Acton University. Unlike many of his regular lectures at JBU, Dr. Bruce actually wore proper dress shoes when he delivered these (so he says).

Dr. Bruce’s academic work has taken him throughout the United States and to Scotland, France, and China—greatly helped (or hindered) by his working fluency in English, his meager competency in French, and his almost total ignorance of Chinese.

Passionate about teaching, Dr. Bruce was awarded a Rookie of the Year award for the first year in which he was eligible (2009), and, for the academic year of 2010–2011, he was named the JBU Student Choice Awards Professor of the Year.

Dr. Bruce, his wife, and their four children live in Fayetteville. Ordained a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America in October 2018, Dr. Bruce and his family delight to be a part of Covenant Church (PCA) where he serves as an associate pastor. Though he now drives to work, he still hates television, and he will always love coffee.