Illinois Wesleyan: Robert Erlewine

Robert Erlewine explores ways to find a common language among belief systems in his book Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason.
Your hometown?	Silver Spring, Maryland
Alma mater?	St. Mary’s College of Maryland as an undergraduate; master's in Philosophy at Boston College; Ph.D. in Religious Studies at Rice in Houston.
Why Wesleyan?	I like small liberal arts colleges.
Your teaching?	Nothing is better than getting students to understand the thrill and wonder that is contained in dusty, old books.
Wesleyan students?	Engaged, eager and smart.
Biggest thrill?	Reading philosophy with a cup of good coffee when suddenly everything clicks.
For fun?	Reading philosophy hoping for something to click.
The best?	When my dog actually obeys one of my commands.
Favorite book?	It is not a single book but the conversation between them.
Favorite band?	Son Volt, Joe Henry, Bruce Springsteen, The Avett Brothers, The Jayhawks, Okkervil River
Favorite movie?	I can’t just pick one. Some movies I have liked recently are Grand Torino, Milk, Up, and The Wrestler. Some old favorites are Midnight Run, and Dawn of the Dead (both the original and the remake).
Favorite quote?	“In the realm of spirit only he who is a pioneer is able to be an heir.” (Abraham Joshua Heschel, Man is Not Alone) “One repays a teacher badly if one remains merely a student.” (Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra)