My name is Lucas Mix, and I am an Episcopal priest, author, and martial artist currently working as the chaplain at the University of Arizona (ua-canterbury.org). In my life, I’ve done a little of everything; I’ve been a preacher, a pastor, a scientist, a technician, a teacher, and an athlete. This blog is an attempt to bring all of that together into some meaningful whole.
For context, I have a doctorate in evolutionary biology from Harvard and a masters in divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific. My first book, Life in Space: Astrobiology for Everyone came out in
March 2009 and talks about what we know from science about the history of life in the universe. It also deals with some the philosophical foundations and implications of astrobiology. I’m also an instructor at Enso Center for International Arts (www.enso-center.org) a non-profit arts organization that specializes in martial, fine, and healing arts. I have a deep love of Hapkido (the Korean art of balance taking), which I teach through the UA rec program.
My current projects include Monday’s Christian, a blog about post-modern Christianity, and a book on science and religion. Thank you for visiting and may all the blessings of joy, peace, and purpose find you.
Oddly Enough,
Lucas
PS. Traditionally, an ecclesiastical peculiar was a church outside the normal diocesan structure. An academic peculiar belonged to the university rather than the diocese. A royal peculiar belonged to the king. While my own post is quite ordinary (belonging to the diocese of Arizona), I do try to straddle the divide between academia and religion, between faith and science – and I’ve always liked the phrase.
…and thank you!!!
By: Wes Roberts on 11 April 2009
at 3:39 am
Cool blog, I hadn’t noticed dacalu.wordpress.com earlier during my searches!
Carry on the superb work!
By: upcoming movies on 29 August 2010
at 10:37 am
Hi Lucas!
Fantastic sermon on Sunday at St. Marks. I was the first one that ID’d myself as yet another “not normal” Christian
You spoke truth to the heart Sunday and I was gearing up to get internally self defiant when I saw the readings that were chosen. You took both readings of Elija and Peter and turned them into a logical way of thinking about the process. I too am a scientist, in fact, I have just finished taking the MCAT and I will “hopefully” be attending a medical school in the fall of 2012. I’m considered a “non traditional” student due to my age. But I guess I am that way in other facets in my life.
I have been an Episcopalian for as long as I can remember and have never had anyone lay it down like you did on Sunday. Thank you for helping me get over my hold up on talking about how I am a Christian. I just finished reading a book “If Grace is True” by Phillip Gulley that coincided with some of what you said in a way as well.
I have been feeling guilty for over analyzing and the logic wasn’t working out and the way you described perception of an event helped my focus. Thank you again! Kathy
By: Kathy Edison on 9 August 2011
at 7:52 am
Lucas:
I enjoyed browsing your blog and reading excerpts of your sermons. I plan to eventually spend more time in your sermon “Archives” and perhaps put links on my website (projectworldview.org) to selected ones. My daughter Keziah worked with you at Harvard and has repeatedly told me I should contact you–thus this communication. I invite you to check out the Project Worldview website. After years of pretty much doing my own thing in maintaining and expanding it, I’m finally seeking input from others and considering partnering with other organizations and individuals. Some of this is driven by ideas for future development that definitely require more than my own talents. Given your background and religious beliefs (seems you both parallel and complement me in this regard–at least my daughter thinks so), you’ve landed on my list of those I’m soliciting input from. I’m especially interested in your reaction to the worldview characterization and analysis structure on the website (from the home page, click on either “Go Directly To the Reality Marketplace Map” or “Wiki Worldview Themes”). Note: If there are sermons that you feel deserve a link on webpages of particular worldview themes there, please let me know!) If you explore the website more, you’ll find the blog I write: Worldview Watch, which often gets into issues at the interface of science and religion. And given your astrobiology and evolutionary biology interest, you might enjoy my recent chapter contributions (to books published by Springer Science): “SETI: Assessing Imaginative Proposals” and “Imagining a Theory of Everything for Adaptive Systems”. To find them, from the homepage click on “Links to Scholarly Papers Related to Worldviews”. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best, Steve
PS: Living in New Mexico I feel like we’re neighbors!
By: Stephen Cook on 5 February 2013
at 12:21 am