Biography: Dr. Joseph Bankard is a professor of philosophy at Northwest Nazarene University. His research is focused primarily on the interdisciplinary dialogue taking place between science, religion and morality. He is the author of Universal Morality Reconsidered: The Concept of God.

What is your favorite thing about working at NNU? The best part of my job is working with students. I love wrestling with difficult texts, engaging important ideas and having meaningful conversations.

Share a few facts about your specific area(s) of expertise that you bring to the classroom: My primary area of expertise is moral philosophy. This emphasis has shaped me as a whole person, not just the way I think. I believe that developing a virtuous character through positive habit formation is one of the best things we do here at NNU.

Share a few pieces of information that represent your teaching experience and why you love working with students: I’ve been teaching philosophy for over 20 years. I believe that philosophy is a discipline directly related to the lives of students. In philosophy we ask, “how do I know if I’m living a good life?” And “what criteria should a person use to determine if something is right or wrong?” In philosophy we use reason to engage the most pressing issues of the day.

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