Interests
Academic
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My academic interests range from physics to theology, with much in between.
I have not kept my physics up to date, but areas of cosmology and astronomy
(for example attempts to explain puzzles like pulsars and quasars, planetary and stellar
nebulae, and closer phenomena like comets - not to mention some of the gorgeous images
produced by the Hubble Space Telescope and available at
The Space Telescope Science
Institute) have kept my attention.
Another interest is history, particularly of the middle Roman period, namely the last
century of the Republic and the first century of the Empire, and also early and medieval
English history, particularly in the period between the departure of the Romans in 440
and the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. I am also interested in the events surrounding
the English and European Reformations. Since moving to Canada, I have begun exploring
Canadian history.
I have developed an interest in philosophy, even to the extent of reading Immanuel Kant's
"Critique of Pure Reason" because I thought I should know what he said (this was also my
reason for reading Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and Tolstoy's "War and Peace", both
rather different publications). During my M.A. this interest acquired a much more
theological bent.
I am also interested in, and have a Ph.D. in, theology. For more details see the
Christianity page. My Ph.D. explored how Authority
operates in the Church, and how this is affected by the Church's understanding of
justice and judgement. It has been published by Ashgate with the title
"Law, Liberty and Church:
Authority and Justice in the Major Churches in England", and can be ordered from
Ashgate or any good bookstore.
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Sporting
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While I grew up watching cricket, soccer and rugby, my interest in soccer has totally
evaporated, and it is not easy to follow cricket or rugby in Canada. I have therefore
switched to watching North American sports such as football, in which I must confess to
supporting the New York Jets, and baseball,
along with Formula 1 Motor Racing, in which I
follow Michael Schumacher. His decision to
come out of retirement and race for Mercedes, rather than Ferrari, gave me conflicting
loyalties, and while I will, for the moment, follow the driver rather than the team,
I retain great affection for
Ferrari.
I went to see the Jets play in Seattle in 2008, but unfortunately, they lost. Due to my
inherent lack of aptitude for sports, there has never been any danger of anyone asking
me to play any sport at any level.
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Music
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My tastes in music vary from classical to hard rock. I am, however, happiest with the
music of Queen.
I also listen to (among others) Bryan Adams,
Aerosmith,
Bon Jovi,
Clannad,
Deep Purple,
Enya,
Genesis,
Jean-Michel Jarre,
Elton John,
Meatloaf,
Mike Oldfield,
Pink Floyd,
ZZ Top,
Beethoven, Handel, Rossini and Wagner.
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Other Interests
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This page would not be complete without the admission that I am a closet
Trekker, a fan of
Doctor Who, in both its classic version
(up to the regeneration of Peter Davison into Colin Baker) and its new version, and a
fan of Blake's Seven.
I have also read large quantities of science fiction.
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