Stewart, Melville Y. 1935–

(Melville Yorke Stewart)

PERSONAL:

Born June 19, 1935, in Boston, MA; son of Charles Norris (a chef) and Nellie (a soloist) Stewart; married; wife's name Donna Mae (a registered nurse); children: David Scott, Daniel Bruce, Stephen Allen, Linda Ruth, Glenn Mark. Ethnicity: "Scottish/English descent." Education: Gordon College, B.A., 1958; Westminster Theological Seminary, M.Div., 1961; Andover Newton Theological School, S.T.M., 1968; University of Connecticut, M.A., 1972; University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, Ph.D., 1983; postdoctoral study at Oxford University, 1986. Hobbies and other interests: Guitar, drawing, ancient coins, travel, old books.

ADDRESSES:

Home and office—29023 138th St., Zimmerman, MN 55398. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Pastor of Baptist churches in Hazardville, CT, 1961-64, Jamaica Plain, MA, 1964-67, and New Bedford, MA, 1967-71; Bethel College (now Univer- sity), St. Paul, MN, professor of philosophy, 1972-99, professor emeritus, 2000—, adjunct faculty, 2005—. St. Petersburg State University (Russia), visiting professor, 1992-93; St. Petersburg Christian College, adjunct professor, 1993; Peking University, Pew visiting professor, 1996-97, Fulbright visiting professor, 2001, United Board visiting professor, 2004, Templeton Visiting Professor, 2008; Central University of the Nationalities, Beijing, China, adjunct professor, 1996-97; University of St. Thomas, adjunct professor, 2000-03; North Hennepin Community College, adjunct professor, 2000-01; Capella University, adjunct professor, 2003—; Wuhan University, Templeton Visiting Professor, 2004, honorary guest professor, 2005; Templeton Visiting Professor at Fudan University, 2006, and Shandong University, 2007; guest lecturer at other universities both inside and outside the United States.

MEMBER:

International Cooperation of the APA, Society of Christian Philosophers (chair of Russia Committee, 1993-97, and China Committee, 1994-2005; member of executive committee, 1997-99), Evangelical Philosophical Society, American Philosophical Association, Minnesota Philosophical Society, Regent's Park College Society, Fulbright Society.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Recipient of numerous small grants for overseas study and teaching, including support from Volunteers of America, Mustard Seed Foundation, Mooney Foundation, and Baptist General Conference.

WRITINGS:

The Greater-Good Defense: An Essay on the Rationality of Faith, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

(Editor, with Daniel B. Clendenin, and contributor) Problemiy Christianskoy Filosophiy (title means "Problems in Christian Philosophy"), translated by Yuri Kimilev, Progress Academy Press (Moscow, Russia), 1994.

(Editor) Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology of Contemporary Views, Jones & Bartlett (Boston, MA), 1996.

(Editor, with Zhang Zhigang, and contributor) East and West Religious Ethics, and Other Essays (in Chinese), Central Compilation and Translation Press (Beijing, China), 1997, English translation, 2000.

(Editor, with Zhang Zhigang, and contributor) East and West Philosophy of Religion, translated by Zhou Weichi, International Scholars Press (Bethesda, MD), 1998.

(Editor, with Zhao Dunhua, and contributor) East and West Religious Epistemology (in Chinese), Peking University Press (Beijing, China), 2000.

(Editor, with Natalia Pecherskaya, and contributor) The Atonement (in Russian), St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy Press (St. Petersburg, Russia), 2000.

(Editor) The Trinity: East/West Dialogue, Kluwer Academic Publishers (Boston, MA), 2003.

(Editor, with Kelly James Clark and Zhou Jianzhang) A Dialogue between Science and Religion (in Chinese), Xiamen University Press (Xiamen, China), 2003.

(Editor, with Fu Youde and Kelly James Clark) Interfaith Dialogue: East and West (in Chinese), Social Science Publishers (Beijing, China), 2004.

(Editor, with Xing Taotao) Philosophy of Religion (in English and Chinese), Peking University Press (Beijing, China), 2005.

(Editor, with Changchi Hao) Science and Religion in Dialogue (in Chinese), Peking University Press (Beijing, China), 2007.

Contributor to books in various languages. Contributor of articles and reviews to periodicals, including Christian Scholar's Review and Faith and Philosophy.

Some of Stewart's other writings have also been published in Chinese or Russian translation.

SIDELIGHTS:

Melville Y. Stewart once told CA: "My year in Russia, and a visit to China that same year, made it clear to me that anthologies in philosophy would be valuable tools if they were available in both Russian and Chinese, and that books by Western philosophers were badly needed in university libraries. This led me to the companion-translation concept, and I am presently working on several volumes that fall under the heading ‘Science and Religion,’ which will appear in both Chinese and English editions."

Later, Stewart added: "My primary motivation for writing is to offer a coherent account of various issues relating to the human condition, working within the framework of a Christian Weltanschauung. International initiatives, venues, and teaching have comprised the major part of my professional career focus since retire- ment in 1999. This, in part, is a realization of my commitment to provide materials of the highest possible quality by well-known authors, dealing with issues relating to the Christian faith, especially as that set of beliefs relates to the central problems of philosophical inquiry. These books have issued from symposia that have been conducted in Russia and China since 1993, when the first one was held in St. Petersburg, and 1994, when the first one took place in China. These venues continue with a high degree of interest under the direction of the Society of Christian Philosophers.

"My writing career began, in part, with my dissertation topic, ‘The Greater-Good Defense’ (a study of the philosophical problem of evil). The topic was of special interest in my life. The study was finished the Saturday before the Tuesday I had major surgery that brought a healing end to a very long and painful illness that nearly ended my life. That study underwent a rewrite at Oxford University in 1986, under Professor Richard Swinburne, and was published in London and New York. The book came out when I taught in 1992 and 1993 at St. Petersburg State University. It was that book that helped me gain entrance into China in the spring of that stay in Russia. From then on, international efforts and opportunities expanded in exciting and undreamed-of ways in both Russia and China, but mainly the latter.

"Teaching and lecturing outside the United States followed the teaching assignment in Russia in a way that pleasantly surprised me. I initially thought that teaching in Russia would mean leaving the philosophical loop, but the opposite occurred. When I finished teaching in Russia, I was invited to lecture at Edinburgh University because of interest in what was happening to the academy in Russia after the collapse of Communism. Invitations followed from Oxford and London.

"Retirement has opened up a new career of teaching at China's best universities. Friendships have since expanded to include countless students and faculty, and they continue to flourish, as students I've been honored to teach by the dozens are now working on advanced degrees at Western universities. My hope, also embraced by the current president of China, is for peace, harmony, and prosperity among all the nations of this earth."