“We are very passionate about the integration of God with all of life, and the relational emphasis that is very distinctive in this program,” Bradley Seeman, associate professor of philosophy and program director of philosophy, said.
Seeman works alongside Kevin Diller, professor of philosophy and religion, and Koert Verhagen, associate professor of philosophy and theology. The three of them have worked to grow the department and keep the students centered on the pursuit of God and truth.
Seeman earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wheaton College before going on to get his master’s degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Loyola University. He also received his doctorate from Loyola.
Diller was a student at Taylor University back in 1988. He received his bachelor's in philosophy before working toward his master's in divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary. Next, Diller earned his master’s of arts in theology and ministry from Calvin Theological Seminary.
Finally, he received his Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews and his post-Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
When Verhagen was a student at Taylor, he had both Diller and Seemen as his professors. The two of them were key parts of starting him down the career path of philosophy.
“It was the first time I thought, ‘Oh man, I think I love this stuff enough that I could do this for a long time,’” he said.
After his senior year, Verhagen kept in touch with both professors, keeping a tie to Taylor as he began pursuing further education. Verhagen attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for his master's in theology. He received his Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews.
After earning his doctorate, it was the connections he made back at Taylor that took him into the next chapter of his career.
Over the last decade, the department has seen significant growth in many areas. They have managed to blend the lines between philosophy and theology, giving them distinct characteristics.
“We want to help our students think deeply about who God is, what he has done in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, and how that shapes all of reality,” Seeman said.
The professors encourage their students to embrace the hard but beautiful work of coming to understand their world more deeply in light of who God is and what he has done, especially in Jesus.
They have also brought more opportunities for their students.
Verhagen is starting a new trip abroad to New Zealand in the fall of 2027. He and the Taylor students joining him will be working with indigenous tribes there, as well as the St Andrews church. They are also heading back to South Africa over J-term.
He also continues to coach Taylor’s Ethics Bowl team, where students debate culturally relevant ethical topics in a competition format.
The skills developed in this department give you a wide range of knowledge for many different fields after graduation, Seeman said. We have students who score in the top percent on the LSAT (law school), GMAT (business school) and the MSAT (medical school).
Many people assume philosophy majors are destined to live in their parents’ basement, living off unemployment checks, Verhagen said, laughing. But that simply is not true, he continued. Our students go on to many different graduate programs and see success in many career fields.
The professors equate this to their connection with philosophy, theology and faith. Teaching their students to think deeply on a wide variety of subjects helps them in life outside of the philosophy classroom. It is a skill that can multiply into many areas.
With the success that the alumni see, the program continues to grow larger and sees more students declare philosophy majors. The trio of professors has continued to seek to grow the department in every way they see fit.
