Joseph Ryan Newton Creates:
Academic Works
Joseph has a passion for learning. They often joke that, if they won the lottery, they would go to medical school, not to become a doctor, but simply to audit classes and learn. Their main areas of academic interest are philosophy, religion, theatre, and especially the intersection of all three.
Academic Resume and Description
The first thing someone might notice is that Joseph has been in college for a long time. They struggle with several chronic health issues and have been forced to take a several health leaves. This in no way diminishes their passion for academia; in fact, they would argue that it demonstrates their dedication to scholarship through their perseverance.
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What do the fields of philosophy, religion, and theatre have to do with each other? They're all focused on asking the big questions (Some examples are: "What is the meaning of life?" and ":How am I supposed to behave as a person?") and answering them. Philosophy and religion often are able to articulate the questions and their answers, while theatre allows us to access them in a different way.
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Joseph's one true love is philosophy, but they are passionate about integrating all three subjects.
"One in the Spirit: An Exploration of and Movement Toward the Theology Behind Acceptance of, Affirmation of, and Advocacy for Transgender People in the Church"
As an example of Joseph's writing, they have decided to share a paper they wrote. This is the paper that won the Beets Religion Department Paper Contest. It was written in the fall of 2021 and submitted for that cycle. The title is fairly self-explanatory; the paper argues for the acceptance of, affirmation of, and advocacy for transgender people in the Church.