Drew Chastain
Dr. Drew Chastain's main areas of focus are spirituality and meaning. What does it mean to be spiritual but not religious? How does spirituality relate to aesthetics, morality, law and meaning in life? What do we learn about spirituality from the world's religious and cultural traditions - eastern, western and indigenous? What is respect for the sacred, and can that be understood in secular terms?
Recent Publications
- “Faith, Meaning, and Spirituality without Religion.” In Mind Over Matter: Philosophical Essays on Faith, Self-Confidence, and Achievement, eds. Rod Nicholls & Heather Salazar (Leiden: Brill | Rodopi). (forthcoming)
- "Meaning" (co-authored with Michael Hauskeller). The Things That Really Matter: Philosophical Conversations on the Cornerstones of Life, ed. Michael Hauskeller. 2022. London: UCL Press. 7-26.
- "Sacredness" (co-authored with Michael Hauskeller). The Things That Really Matter: Philosophical Conversations on the Cornerstones of Life, ed. Michael Hauskeller. 2022. London: UCL Press. 269-289.
- Deep Personal Meaning: A Subjective Approach to Meaning in Life.” The Journal of Philosophy of Life. 2021. 11 (1). 1-23.
- “Desirability without Desire: Life Extension, Boredom & Spiritual Experience.” Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement. 2021. 90. 167-191.
Degrees
Ph.D., Tulane University
Classes Taught
The Human Person
Making Moral Decisions
Self & the Sacred
Aesthetics
The Meaning of Life
Indigenous Philosophy
Areas of Expertise
Philosophy of Spirituality
Philosophy of Life Meaning
Applied Ethics
Philosophy of Language