Ron Dart taught in the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies at the University of Fraser Valley (British Columbia) for 33 years. He has published and edited more than forty books, including Scrutinizing Scruton: Canadian High Toryism and Scrutonia; Myth and Meaning in Jordan Peterson: A Christian Perspective; Christianity and Pluralism (co-authored with J.I Packer); Thomas Merton and the Beats of the North Cascades; and The North American High Tory Tradition. He is also an avid mountaineer.
In this subsequent interview, Ron tells a bit about the importance of Martin Buber (1878-1965) and his understanding of dialogue, relationships, and self-revelation. This includes
-some pertinent connections between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict of today, and Buber’s own move away from Zionism,
-Buber’s thoughts on what it means to be a person – especially in relation to I and Thou,
-how Buber’s philosophy has sometimes become separated from its political and historical grounding, leaving it problematically sanitized; and
-Buber as prophet.
Additionally, Ron shares insights about the transformative potential of learning through friendship and attentiveness along with some practical daily practices that can enrich every Christian’s journey.
Names that Ron mentioned in the interview:
Martin Buber, Theodor Herzl, Franz Rosenzweig, Abraham Heschel, Heidegger, Hermann Hesse, T. S. Eliot, Dante, Robert Ellsberg.
Books mentioned:
I and Thou (Martin Buber)
Daniel: Dialogues on Realization (Martin Buber)
Scripture and Translation (Martin Buber)
Gog and Magog: A Novel (Martin Buber)
Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics [book 8]
Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses (Robert Ellsberg)
Thoughtful Wisdom for Every Day (Tolstoy)