As a Christian, everything matters...

I am growing increasingly aware of how my identity as a woman of faith, a person of color, and an advocate for equality and social justice has affected my role as a researcher. To be fair, I am also a well-educated, upper-middle class woman who has experienced little, in terms of personal life struggle. While I have seen a great deal of injustice in my short life, I have not been the subject of such inequity. These, too, cannot be eliminated from my identity as a researcher. As a Christian, everything matters. My faith dictates the whole of my life (or so it should). Although to a lesser extent, as a researcher, everything also matters. The rationale behind my pursuit of knowledge, my philosophy on humankind, everything.

For example, I recognize the finite and ambiguous nature of humankind and the inherent value in understanding the perspective of others. Without integrating a community and global perspective into my worldview, my perception of reality will be deficient. I understand that the word ‘knowledge’ defies stringent definition, and individual philosophical renderings are equally as varied. I consider human nature to be fallible, thereby making no human understanding of God, self, or society without flaw. My own philosophical understanding and perception of truth is entirely rooted in my perspective of faith. Our world is rife with paradox. I understand that God has created all humans to be equal, and the inequalities present in our world today have been caused by a lack of understanding this Truth. Truth has nothing to fear from investigation and critical inquiry, though many who know “the truth” fear scrutiny. Knowledge is both fluid and constant. The more I learn, the more I realize I have much to learn. Over the past six months, I have truly come to understand that my individual philosophical perspective of knowledge, truth, and human nature impacts all that I do, all that I study, and all that I am.