Your Host, Mark Stanley
I, Mark Anthony Stanley, was born and raised in Northern California to a Christian family of five. My father was (is) a pastor, police officer and small business owner and my mother raised three children. I am the middle child between an older and a younger brother.
I went to public school from k-4th, then was homeschooled independently until High school, where through a charter school I attended an academic coop and received a classical education in the liberal arts. With classes like omnibus, theology, latin, history, literature, writing and Bible, I was exposed to the best Western Civilization has to offer, and over the course of 3 years had completely fallen in love with the conversations and ideas in those classrooms.
Books weren’t the only thing I had fallen in love with. During this time, I also fell in love with one of my classmates and married her soon after graduating. Since then, I have earned a BA in Biblical Studies from The Master’s University and a MA in Philosophy from Biola University.
Hobbies (Outside of Reading): Chess, many board games, video-games, golfing, camping, hiking, and more.
Favorite Book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Favorite Film: Contact (1997)
About Well Read Christian
Well Read Christian was born out of a desire to be an interesting, well-read, thought-provoking person. So, one book at a time, I began reading, thinking and desiring to talk about what I had read with everybody who would listen. Well Read Christian is my way of extending the conversation to anyone else who is interested in the same things as I am. Well Read Christian is an integration of the philosophy of religion, classic literature, worldview and Bible. Now, I get to enjoy reading, writing, thinking and speaking about the most important and interesting conversations human beings can have.
Our Mission
Our mission is to offer nuanced, thoughtful and principled conversations, featuring genuine open-mindedness while bringing the relevant ideas to the table. We believe the best way to talk about ethics, values and religion is through literature and philosophy. Well Read Christian offers a classical Christian perspective while maintaining enough rigor to represent all views honestly in an attempt to attract those in pursuit of the examined life from all stripes and walks. We will summarize, analyze and critique important works from the Western World with intellectual honesty, diligent research and thorough commentary.
In short, Well Read Christian exists to expose Christians and non-Christians to the great ideas in literature and philosophy; to educate, entertain, and demonstrate that the Bible is the pinnacle of literature, and Christianity the most true philosophy.
It is important for us to be up front about our biases and goals, and although we are eager to interact with non-believers, we trust you to decide whether or not Well Read Christian is for you. Listen to a few episodes and browse the blog to see for yourself!