This user is a Christian.

This user is a Calvinist.

This user has been on Wikipedia for 3 years and 3 months.

BS This user has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.

This user is a bibliophile.

Howdy folks!

There are few things I like more than knowing stuff. I love to learn and share information! Of course, that probably isn't a huge shock since I'm making a wikipedia user page...

So a little about me:

I have a college education and a career in mechanical engineering. I live in the eastern United States, and have for most of my life, with a little stint in the mid-west.

I like to think I have varied interests (don't we all), but below are a few things that I've especially dug into:

As a conservative Christian, an interest in theology seems natural to me. Though I have no formal theological training, I have tried to learn as much as I can about the Bible as well as various theological views. I personally consider myself essentially a subscriber to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (though I'm still trying to understand all that implies). That would make me a Reformed Baptist (or a Particular Baptist).

As I have tried to describe my theological views to others I find that Gavin Ortlund is a public theologian whose views align most closely with my own. He seems to be a Particular Baptist (though his actual church does not appear to be confessional, whereas I would prefer a confessional church). His view that infant baptism is valid but irregular, while unusual among Baptists, is also a view that I share. I also Gavin's views on creation and Genesis. Though I am somewhat undecided, I do reject the idea that Young Earth Creationism is the only scriptural view of creation. I also really appreciate Ortlund's irenic tone and effort to keep the critical points at the center theologically.

Though I would accept the label of "Calvinist" I don't particularly like that term as it uses the name of a major theologian (John Calvin) and applies it to a very small range of his teaching (specifically a small subsection of his soteriology). I also object to the acronym TULIP (often used as a summary of reformed soteriology. It expands to Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible Grace, an Perseverance of the saints). Unfortunately both Calvinism and TULIP seem to me to be wax noses with very limited utility in defining what one actually believes. I prefer the term Dortian in reference to the Canons of Dort which is an expanded and detailed explanation of reformed theology in the form of a confessional document.

I also have a pretty significant interest in apologetics. I've done some informal study of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Mormonism, and Jehovah's Witnesses.

I have a very weak grasp of Koine Greek which I hope to improve over time. I can basically pronounce words, have a very small vocabulary, and am familiar with some common grammatical concepts. I also have some small familiarity with New Testament Textual Criticism, and am always interested in learning more.

I have some formal training and work experience here.

An avid amateur. I play 1. e4, 1. e4, e5, 1. d4, d5. I'd say my opening repertoire is essentially classical. My rating says I shouldn't have an opening repertoire.

What you'd expect based on the above. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, H. Beam Piper, Murray Leinster, Harry Harrison, Terry Pratchet, P.G. Wodehouse, and many many others.

I'm a huge fan of podcasts. I listen for entertainment and learning. I subscribe to podcasts about history, science, and theology. In terms of entertainment podcasts, I listen to old-time radio westerns, sci-fi, fantasy, and some humor podcasts.

• Theology: Truth Unites (Gavin Ortlund), Christ the Center, The Heidelcast, The Dividing Line, The Briefing with Albert Mohler, Two Age Sojourner
• Politics/Law: The Eric Erickson Show, Scotus101, SCOTUS talk
• History: The Rest is History
• Science: You Are Not So Smart (psychology), The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, Science Diction (discontinued)
• Old Time Radio: Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, The Lone Ranger
• Humor: Cabin Pressure, John Finnemore's Souvenir Program
• Sci-fi/Fantasy/Entertainment: Wolf 359, Life with Althaar, Book Burners, The Truth, Ninth Step Murders, Last Known Position, The Lost Sci-Fi Podcast, The Harbingers (by Gabriel Urbina, who also authored Wolf 359)
• Misc: The Prancing Pony Podcast, Today's Tolkien Times, Lingthusiasm