There is an old Latin phrase from the Thomistic tradition that says contemplata aliis tradere. It means to hand on to others the fruits of contemplation. That short sentence captures the heart of what I want to do here. It is the whole reason this site exists.

My name is Jan. I am a theologian and a philosopher who finds the natural sciences completely fascinating. I do not look at those labels as fancy credentials. They are more like orientations or ways of looking at the world.

I am convinced that faith and reason are not at war. There is no final conflict between the Scriptures and the stars. As Christians have said for centuries, we’re here to understand God’s Word in God’s World.

This site is an invitation to think about big ideas. Ideas are not just for show or decoration. Richard Weaver was right when he said that ideas have consequences. What a society believes about God or truth eventually shows up in its laws and its art. It shows up in how we treat our families and how we build our streets. If we do not learn from history, we will just keep repeating the same old mistakes. The ancient wisdom of Proverbs says that as a person thinks in their heart, so they are. We eventually become whatever we spend our time looking at.

I want to use this space to think slowly and out loud. I want to look at how culture moves and what makes worldviews tick. We will look at the philosophy of science and the science of philosophy. I want to ask why the universe makes more sense with God than without Him. We can see what the sciences can tell us and where they have to stop. Ancient truths still have plenty of important things to say to our modern mess.

I’m writing this for the person who likes to think. You don’t have to be a specialist to be here. You just need to be curious. Maybe you’re a believer who knows there’s more to think about than what you hear in a quick Sunday sermon. Maybe you’re a skeptic who is actually honest about what you don’t know. Either way, you’re welcome at the table.

Welcome to Contemplata. Pull up a chair and let’s think together.