A member of the Oklahoma Baptist University faculty since 2005, Dr. Benjamin Myers began a new role at the University this fall as director of the OBU honors program.
Formerly serving as the Crouch-Mathis Professor of Literature, Myers said he is committed to establishing curriculum rooted in Christianity that emphasizes the development of western civilization through literature. His vision for the honors program is for students to learn the great tradition of thought in the west and to foster their curiosity, wonder, attentiveness and humility of mind that expands learning.
“What I am looking forward to most in this position is helping students uncover their God-given love of wisdom and of truth, goodness, and beauty,” Myers said. “I am eager to help students discover that learning is not a chore but rather a great spiritual adventure. I am excited about helping them to recover the intellectual, spiritual, and artistic resources of the great tradition so that they can live more flourishing lives.
“We’ve been told our whole lives to live in the moment, but the moment is a very small place to live,” he said. “We encourage the mindset that one needs to spread out and live in the fullness of time, to enlarge one’s scope and discover what it means to be a human being, and live among other human beings in relation to a divine God.”
According to Myers, students in the honors program are reading books that expand their minds intellectually, spiritually and emotionally.
“They look at reoccurring elements of transcendent reality to preserve the permanent things in life, as opposed to momentary trends,” he said. Through the entire course of the program, students are challenged to think about their meaning and purpose and are encouraged to experience a contemplative and rich life.”
Myers received his doctorate in English from Washington University in St. Louis, as well as his Master of Arts in English and American Literature there. He graduated summa cum laude from University of the Ozarks where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English.
The author of four books of poetry and two books of nonfiction, Myers was named the 2015-2016 Poet Laureate of the state of Oklahoma. His poems have appeared in The Yale Review, Image, The Christian Century, Rattle and many other widely-circulated journals. He has written essays for many prominent outlets, including First Things, The American Conservative, and The Gospel Coalition.
Myers said there are several ways the honors program elevates a student’s overall experience.
“The first is through an in-depth exploration of the Great Books tradition of the western world,” he said. “Their education is also enhanced through unique opportunities for study abroad, service projects and original undergraduate research. All of these components encourage students to love the Lord with all of their heart, minds, soul, and strength in an expansive and enriching manner.”
The program builds on the strong foundation of the University’s liberal arts curriculum. During an honor student’s freshman and sophomore years, they complete 24 hours of discussion-based honor core classes. Each course is team-taught by three honors professors from fields such as philosophy, literature, fine arts, history and theology.
Under Dr. Myers’ leadership, fundraising efforts are now underway to establish scholarships for honors students to ensure that a robust Christian liberal arts education- an education grounded in faith, reason and the great tradition-is the education that shapes those who shape the future.
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