Joseph Schrock
Joseph Schrock | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 20, 1947 |
| Residence | Starkville, MS, United States |
| Nationality | USA |
| Known for | Writings on spirituality, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mathematics, Metaphysics |
Joseph A. Schrock (born July 20, 1947) is an American writer and independent philosopher based in Starkville, Mississippi. He is the author of several books that explore questions of spirituality, metaphysics, religion, and the philosophy of mind, often presented in the form of dialogues between imaginary interlocutors.
Biography
Schrock received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Mississippi State University in 1987. He subsequently undertook further coursework toward a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics at the same institution. He describes his primary interests as spirituality and religion, the philosophy of logic, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of language, and the philosophy of mind, and he has pursued writing for publication as a means of applying his education. He resides in Starkville, Mississippi, and has been associated with the Starkville writing community.
Work
Schrock's writing centers on the search for what he terms harmony with Ultimate Reality, approached from a nonsectarian and nondenominational standpoint. Much of his work is cast as philosophical dialogue, in which contrasting viewpoints are voiced by imaginary characters who debate metaphysical, religious, and ethical questions.
His book The Road to Harmony with God: Essays on Spirituality and Metaphysics (2009) presents essays outlining an approach to spiritual growth intended to be of interest to seekers across a range of faith traditions. A Dialogue on Opposing Worldviews (2012) stages a series of exchanges between two imaginary philosophers holding opposing positions. In Human Will: Dialogues on the Nature of the Will (2014), an interlocutor who defends a physicalist account that reduces the will to brain activity is set against another who argues for a personal will possessing genuine freedom of choice. Religion Versus Spirituality: Can Spirituality Flourish Apart from Organized Religion? (2019) features characters representing an independent spiritual seeker, a Christian apologist, and a skeptic, who debate questions concerning biblical reliability, morality, and theology.
Books
- The Road to Harmony with God: Essays on Spirituality and Metaphysics (AuthorHouse, 2009), ISBN 978-1-4490-1583-1
- A Dialogue on Opposing Worldviews: A Set of Powerful Sparring Matches Between Two Imaginary Philosophers (AuthorHouse, 2012), ISBN 978-1-4772-5931-3
- Human Will: Dialogues on the Nature of the Will (CreateSpace, 2014), ISBN 978-1-5003-8026-7
- Religion Versus Spirituality: Can Spirituality Flourish Apart from Organized Religion? (BookLocker, 2019), ISBN 978-1-6443-8504-3