For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light (Psalm 36:9 KJV).
My name is Laurence O’Donnell. Welcome to my blog, In Thy Light, where I reflect upon what it means to see light in God’s light. I write about Christian pistis and praxis from a Presbyterian perspective. I frequently post book reviews, academic papers, and theological reflections related to my ongoing studies. I also share sermons and autobiographical notes here and there.
What I Believe
As a licentiate in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of the South, I have taken public vows to uphold the Reformed catholic faith as summarized in The Westminster Confession of Faith (PDF) and Larger and Shorter Catechisms (PDF-1; PDF-2; PDF-3).
What I Do
- Proud father of two beautiful, vivacious girls
- Full-time PhD student in historical and systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary
- Part-time teaching assistant, Prof. John Bolt
- Associate editor, The Bavinck Review
- Webmaster, The Bavinck Institute
In my spare time I enjoy exercising at the gym, tennis, golf, relaxing at beaches and parks with my wife and kids, and eating slow-cooked KC-style BBQ.
Education
- ThM, Calvin Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI, 2011
- MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FL, 2008
- BA summa cum laude, Interdisciplinary Studies, Clearwater Christian College, Clearwater, FL, 2005
Research Interests
- Theology proper (esp. the doctrines of God and the Trinity)
- The Islamic doctrine of God vis-à-vis the Christian doctrine of God
- Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Reformed orthodoxy
- Neo-Calvinist theology and philosophy (esp. Abraham Kuyper, Herman Bavinck, Herman Dooyeweerd, and Cornelius Van Til)
Professional Associations
How to Read This Blog
Keep in mind a few things as you peruse my blog.
First, this is my personal blog. I do not write here in any official capacity.
Second, this is my personal blog. Respect the genre; blog posts are inherently fleeting. I have changed a great deal since I started this blog in college in 2005. (Read my first post.) Accordingly, many posts in the archives make me laugh. Others make me wince. So, pay attention to the dates, and don’t take my blog more seriously than I do.
Third, I am happy to receive sensible comments on any post. Disagreements are welcome; discourteousness is not. All comments are moderated. Charity is expected. Tangential and/or spam comments will be deleted. If you wish to contact me privately, please e-mail.
