David M. Holley

David M. Holley taught philosophy for over forty years at universities in Kansas, Arizona, and Mississippi. He was Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Southern Mississippi for the last eighteen years of his career. After retiring from teaching and administration in 2018, he moved with his wife Joyce to Texas to be closer to family. He can sometimes be seen kayaking with his wife on Stillhouse Hollow Lake and hiking the trails of Texas State Parks.

His latest two books are intended for a less academic audience than his previous writings. Making Room for Mystery: Anomalous Events, Extraordinary Experiences, and Christian Faith shows why we should think of the natural world as having hidden depths and discusses the significance of recognizing mysterious events and experiences in thinking about Christian faith. Changing Your Mind Without Losing Your Faith is a guide for Christians who see the need to rethink and revise their beliefs, as well as those who have given up on Christianity because they didn’t see alternatives to a version of faith they could no longer accept.

Dr. Holley is a past president of the Society for Philosophy of Religion. His professional awards include the “Excellence in Philosophy of Religion Prize,” and the “Templeton Foundation Prize for an Outstanding Course in Religion and Science.” Over the years, he received multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and toward the end of his career he was named by his university as “Grand Marshall – Distinguished Professor.” In addition to his previous books on self-interest and belief in God, he has published numerous articles in major philosophical journals on topics in ethics and in philosophy of religion. Some of his recent reflections can be found at his website. (Use his name to search for the website.)