Every time I sit down for my ethics class with Dr. Sondra Wheeler, I know that I am going to be blown away by her lecture and our conversation. Last week was our last week studying St. Thomas Aquinas, and as always, Dr. Wheeler brought alive the ethical thought of one of the world's most influential theologians. Dr. Wheeler showed us how Aquinas believed that, through reason, humankind is able to grasp a piece of God's eternal and universal law. She also showed us how Aquinas meant something completely different when he said law than what modernity has forced law to mean. For Aquinas, Dr. Wheeler said, law is perceived through reason, and it is a truth that can guide us to some realization of what is good. This goes so far beyond the idea of law as a list of do's and don't's! It is a wellspring from which our reason finds the divine purpose for our lives; it is what gives us meaning as human beings. I cannot wait for our next class, because I know every single one changes my worldview, and helps me add meaning to my own life and vocation.

Joshua Howard
Master of Divinity, 3rd Year