About the author
My name is Brandon Withrow and I’m Assistant Professor of Historical and Theological Studies and Director of the Master of Arts (Theological Studies) program at Winebrenner Theological Seminary.  I also teach courses for our joint Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies program with the University of Findlay.

My specialization is in the history of Christianity, but intellectually I am obsessed with good literature and issues of philosophy and science.  My journey is that of living ontologically, that is, knowing and understanding the essence of things, especially myself and those underlying strata that tell me something about who I am and who I should be.  This blog is documenting part of that journey.

If you are interested in my professional background, publishing history (books, interviews, etc), academic life, etc, see my author blog, www.brandonwithrow.com.

What is a “Discarded Image?”
The Discarded Image is both the title of this blog and of the highly-regarded, but lesser-known and final book of C.S Lewis (read my review here).  In his classic work, Lewis delves into nature of medieval cosmology, or what he calls a “model.”  In popular literature today, medieval cosmology—and its Ptolemaic foundation—are ridiculed as the thing of simpletons.  Lewis tells us that it was more than that, it brought form and structure to their world.  “This is the medieval synthesis itself,” Lewis explains, “the whole organization of their theology, science, and history into a single, complex, harmonious mental Model of the Universe.”

It all came to an end with Copernicus and Galileo, as we are reminded so often today.  For Lewis, this change was not simply because human beings were now somehow brighter, rather, the model itself no longer gave meaning to the world.  “We can no longer dismiss the change of Models as a simple progress from error to truth. No Model is a catalogue of ultimate realities, and none is a mere fantasy.  Each is a serious attempt to get in all the phenomena known at a given period….”  Models can change because of “an unprovoked assault of new facts” or because it is we, not the facts, that change.  We become discontent with what is and discard what no longer makes sense.

This blog is an exploration of my changing model and those images which I have discarded, for good or bad (that will be a matter for the reader).  At times, my ideas have changed because I simply cannot rationalize an older model, at other times, the facts sucker-punch me, forcing change.  In any case, I’ve experienced a lot of personal change over the years and I find comfort in knowing that questions are not my enemy.  As a professor of a religious institution, I want my students to find comfort in that as well.  I do not want them to fear change or opportunities to unmask their own assumptions about the world or others.  The best way for me to help them is to demonstrate that process of change in myself.

Brought up Baptist, I became Presbyterian, and I am now Episcopalian, where I believe I have the most room for change within my faith. I generally enjoy hearing the voices of others who may have experienced the world from a very different perspective—though I must admit to having the least tolerance for fundamentalism.  I am foremost, however, eclectic and eager to embrace truth wherever it may be found.

Religion and Books
In step with the theme of exploring various models or images of the universe, I engage many subjects on this blog.  In doing so, I explore the frontiers and limitations of religious thought through reading.  Books, therefore, are central to this blog; they fuel it.  They are my conversation partners and they provide the organization for the content you’ll find here.  Some books are old, some new, some re-read, and some remembered.  If you want to suggest a book, please do.  I’m always open for a good read.

What is here is what I’m willing to explore publicly and I hope some of it resonates with you.  This is me thinking aloud, speculating, dreaming, and re-imagining.  I am exploring my soul and the many opportunities to learn that are available to me in this world.  I hope to discover my own inconsistencies, prejudices, and fears.

I reserve the right to change my mind when faced with better arguments and experiences.  Nothing written here is what I consider the final word on the subject for me and not all ideas have the same level of certainty.  I should also add that, as this is a practice in thinking aloud, the opinions and questions voiced here are my own and not that of the institutions at which I teach.

About Review Copies
Review copies of books are welcome. Publishers and authors may contact me about sending review copies through my contact page.

Join the Conversation
My schedule may be limited at times, but I welcome conversation and will respond when possible.  Feel free to be snarky and open, just try to avoid shouting matches and any general threats of things like eternal damnation (it has happened before), conspiracy theories, or trolling of any kind.   I reserve the right to remove any comment I find absolutely inappropriate.  Having said that, participating on this blog is not limited by the Christian tradition to which you belong, if you are a Muslim, Jew, or Atheist; whatever your background is, if you have a story of a life-journey that can improve the conversation here, please join in.

So read and I hope you enjoy.