Andrew Fiala

Christian Nationalism and the Paradox of Secularism "Christian Nationalism and the Paradox of Secularism" published on 28 Apr 2025 by Brill.

My new book is "Christian Nationalism and the Paradox of Secularism."

It explains the Christian Nationalist challenge, while useing American sources, Christian theology, and modern political philosophy to argue against Christian nationalism.

brill.com/display/titl...

Declaration of Independence was rooted in Enlightenment ideals, not divinity | Opinion “To suggest that these authors were inspired to create a Christian nation is simply false.”

The Declaration of Independence is a secular, humanistic document. Our rights may come from God, the creator, or the laws of nature. But government is a human creation. It is “we, the people” who create governments, and alter or abolish them.

www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Against Warmongering – Andrew Fiala, Ph.D.

As soldiers deploy on American streets and bombs rain down on foreign cities, we need to think more carefully about the justification of war. We also need to listen carefully to the critics of war, whose voices are often drowned out by the warmonger’s ranting.
andrewfiala.com/against-warm...

On Trump and Iran: Warmongering and the dangers of justifying violence | Opinion “As soldiers deploy on American streets and bombs rain down on foreign cities, we need to think more carefully about the justification of war.”

Very few wars live up to the moral ideal. Good people die. Bad guys sometimes win. Atrocities are committed. And noble soldiers suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and moral injury. Warmongering ignores this.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Motherhood and Choice: Keeping our Eyes Wide Open – Andrew Fiala, Ph.D.

In a free country, we must be allowed to pursue familial joy on our own terms.

andrewfiala.com/motherhood-a...

Fertility clinic bombing in Palm Springs sheds light on nihilistic violence | Opinion “Pessimism and nihilism are perennial problems. They indicate a deep challenge for the human spirit.”

Nihilism is a philosophical dead-end.
If we understand our unique capacity to wonder about the meaning of life, we may also realize how wonderful it is to exist as beings who think, question and create.

www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Imagining a Pragmatic Post-Identitarian Peace - শুদ্ধস্বর Once we realize that most identities are ephemeral social constructions, killing for such abstract, arbitrary, and transitory things as nations, religions, or civilizations will end.

Identitarian movements can become dogmatic, fanatical, and violent. When we understand that most identities are ephemeral social constructions, we may begin to imagine a path toward peace.

Imagining a Pragmatic Post-Identitarian Peace - শুদ্ধস্বর shuddhashar.com/imagining-a-...

Imagining a Pragmatic Post-Identitarian Peace - শুদ্ধস্বর Once we realize that most identities are ephemeral social constructions, killing for such abstract, arbitrary, and transitory things as nations, religions, or civilizations will end.

Human beings should stop fighting about the abstractions of religion, politics, and identity. Too many tears have been shed in defense of empty words. And too much blood has been spilt over lines drawn in the sand.

shuddhashar.com/imagining-a-...

Easter offers an extremely relevant anti-tyrannical political message | Opinion “If it seems that we are more Roman than Christian these days, it can help to recall that the hero of Easter is Jesus and not Pontius Pilate.”

Easter is anti-tyrannical.

If it seems that we are more Roman than Christian these days, it can help to recall that the hero of Easter is Jesus and not Pontius Pilate.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Artificial intelligence is already changing the world. But will it change our humanity? | Opinion “The demands that other humans make upon us are infinitely more valuable than the cult of efficiency can imagine.”

To be human is not to be efficient. Rather, it is love, suffer and die. And that’s what no machine can ever do.

www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

On Exploring the Ontological Intuitions of Pacifism and Nonviolence By Professor Andrew Fiala Fresno State University My recent article in the Journal of Pacifism and Nonviolence, “Toward an Ontology of Pacifism: Three Ontological Intuitions of the Pacifist Traditi…

Here's a short overview of my new article "Toward an Ontology of Pacifism" from the Journal of Pacifism and Nonviolence:

pacifismandnonviolence.wordpress.com/2025/04/02/o...

My new article, "Toward an Ontology of Pacifism" explores shared ideas among pacifists: (1) that peace is a positive reality, (2) that interdependence and interrelationship are fundamental; and (3) that the entities of social and political life are socially constructed.

brill.com/view/journal...

How Donald Trump and Elon Musk inspire passions feared by America’s Founding Fathers | Opinion “Trump inflames the emotions and provokes passion — whether you love him or hate him. He arouses rather than enlightens.”

American politics has become deeply erotic... Erotic politics is more interested in glory than in goodness. It encourages inspiring fantasy rather than dull deliberation.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

If Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico, why can’t a trans person adopt a new name and pronoun? | Opinion “The history of the world is a struggle for the power of naming. We are in the middle of such a struggle today.”

If Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico, why can’t a trans person adopt a new name and pronoun?

Who gets to decide true name of a thing? And who has the authority to name things.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Tyranny from Plato to Trump: Fools, Sycophants, and Citizens

"The last king of America was a tyrant and a madman. That’s what the American rebels said about George III. Since the American colonies gained their independence, no other tyrant has been able to consolidate power in this country...."

Is this still true?

www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Plat...

Seeking Wisdom in the Trump-Storm – Andrew Fiala, Ph.D.

The antidote to chaos is wisdom that transcends the moment. When the zone is flooded with shit, we rise above by remembering that true and good things endure.

andrewfiala.com/seeking-wisd...

I'll be speaking at UC Merced on March 5, on the challenge of doing public philosophy.

Trump’s ‘golden age’ dream is a fallacy, and the golden chariot is already stuck in the mud | Opinion “The greed, graft and grime of humanity reduces any talk of a golden age to absurdity. In proclaiming a utopia, you will provoke inevitable backlash.”

The world is more complicated than Trumpian alchemy admits. Human lead cannot be turned into gold. The philosophers tell us that the crooked timber of humanity cannot be made straight. Applying gilded paint to crooked wood cannot conjure up a golden age.

Read more at: www.sacbee.com/opinion/arti...

On Christmas Eve, Jesus would listen to our 2009 episode with @andrewfiala.bsky.social from @fresnostatecah.bsky.social, author of "What Would Jesus Really Do?: The Power & Limits of Jesus' Moral Teachings."

More at www.philosophytalk.org/shows/how-re....

A blast from the past. Thanks for reposting this.

Trump’s ‘golden age’ dream is a fallacy, and the golden chariot is already stuck in the mud | Opinion “The greed, graft and grime of humanity reduces any talk of a golden age to absurdity. In proclaiming a utopia, you will provoke inevitable backlash.”

Trump said, “The golden age of America begins right now.” Really? History is haphazard. Human beings are flawed. Powers rise and fall. Every action provokes a reaction. There never was — and there never will be — a golden age.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

‘Disasters are occasions for clarifying our values’: What will we learn from LA wildfires? | Opinion “To make intelligent decisions and prepare for future emergencies, we need to solve our social and political dysfunction.”

In this combustible world, we also need ethical and spiritual preparation. Nothing lasts forever. But virtue is more durable than any finite, flammable good.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Finding balance in ending and beginning: Navigating change with wisdom and grace | Opinion Lao-Tzu: “Death and birth, ending and beginning are nothing more than the sequence of day and night.”

The new year offers a fresh start. This is an opportunity to erase some bad habits and write a new chapter. As we make our resolutions and look back on the past year, we should aim to keep what’s good, welcome the better, and let go of what we no longer need.

www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

Opinion | The Inverted Morality of MAGA Trumpism represents an alternative value system. The people I regard as upright and admirable MAGA regards as morally disgraceful.

Brooks misses the point here. Morality is not about ‘institutions’. It transcends them. What’s missing in MAGA and in ‘institutionalism’ are the basic shared values of moral common sense: honesty, kindness, sincerity, humility, wisdom, and love. www.nytimes.com/2024/11/28/o...

Gratitude, Grace, and the Biden-Trump Handshake – Andrew Fiala, Ph.D.

We don’t have to hate each other. We are not bound to return tit-for-tat. Human beings are free and creative. We can choose to forgive, to forget and to turn a new leaf.
://andrewfiala.com/gratitude-grace-and-the-biden-trump-handshake/

Opinion | What a Lame Duck President Could Do for Lame Turkeys President Biden should cancel the Thanksgiving tradition of pardoning a turkey.

This is excellent food for thought. All we are saying is “Give Tofurkey a chance.”

www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/o...

Opinion | The Democrats Are in Trouble. This Man Can Save Them. The theories of the 20th-century philosopher John Rawls can inspire a new way for Democrats to find relevance.

Is Rawls-Nozick debate is still relevant after 50 years?
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/o...

This post-election Thanksgiving, we all have the power to soften our hardened hearts.

It may be too much to hope that enemies can become friends, but we can become less hateful and more civil if we choose to do so.

Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...

This life is a burst of light
In empty space.
We dance on this summit
For a moment,
Grateful to glow
While we can,
Adding color to the cosmos
Until the rainbow ends.

Tragic wisdom offers consolation. A good life is not guaranteed. But in understanding the fragility of goodness, we discover wisdom. And if we work at it, we can find the strength to remain upright in the storm.
Read more at: www.fresnobee.com/opinion/read...