Longing to Know turns 20!

​My first philosophy book, Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People, is celebrating 20 years in print. I invite you to celebrate this milestone with me! You belong in LTK’s continuing story! In celebration of LTK and its fruit (including you), I have some Gifts and Invitations for you.

Longing to Know’s message remains critically necessary two decades on from its birth. Thanks for your part in LTK’s unfolding story. Together, let’s promote it in two more.

20 Years of Longing to Know: A Conversation with Amber Bowen
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As she tells it, when Amber Bowen and I connected at professional meetings in San Antonio, I was the first female Christian scholar that she had ever laid eyes on. As a graduate student at Southeastern Theological Seminary, she arranged for me to give talks there. Throughout her professional training she has encouraged and promoted my work. Now on the faculty of Redeemer University in Hamilton, Ontario, Dr Bowen has involved me in her humanities classes and her Two Cities podcast with Dr. Jon Dunne and others. At her initiative, this interview is of me!

Keep scrolling for more videos in this series.

​Michael and Jon were students in my “Covenant
Epistemology 2000,” the course which birthed LTK. Talk about key players! I tell Michael’s story in the book. They were part of the birthing process. And they earnestly encouraged me in my work. These two continue to work in college campus ministry; hear their assessment of LTK’s relevance in this context 20 years out.

Giorgio and John were my students in 2000 at
Covenant Seminary. Giorgio and John have pastored churches for over two decades. Hear these two reminisce about those days and name their key takeaways from the book: moving from certainty to confidence in knowing, risk, community, humility, and embodied knowledge. And hear how LTK plays into their pastoral ministries.

A student in my Covenant Epistemology 2002 class, Dr. Dru Johnson is a theologian and philosopher on the faculty of The King’s College in New York City. He has authored several books on Scripture’s epistemology. Dru distinctively shares and carries on my own Polanyi-based philosophical work, especially as it applies to Scripture.

Two of my most brilliant students share what it was like for them to undergo serious epistemological therapy—as a twosome. Josh served as TA and tutor for me, and now teaches my Critical Thinking class as he works toward a PhD in philosophy. Hear Josh ponder knowing from the perspective of computer science. Hear Molly share dealing with shyness and her spiritual journey.

Mary and Troy, 2011 Geneva grads, were stellar
students in the same class of Christian Understanding of Life. Mary TA’d for me; she also helped prepare the Index for my book, Loving to Know. Hear Mary reflect on the strategic value of LTK as she has combatted two things closely connected to a defective epistemology: OCD, and excessive commitment to certainty in church life. Hear Troy, a church planter and pastor in Pittsburgh, reflect on the value of LTK’s approach in the not-yet-knowing of church planting.

Two of my most creative students, Olivia and Andrew both served as my TAs, and these friends continue to help me in my work. Andrew, a film maker, has produced the intro for these LTK videos. Olivia advises from her savvy about sales. Hear Olivia tell how processing LTK played into her horrific auto crash and lengthy recovery. Hear Andrew share how LTK opened his eyes about his own deeply ingrained defective ideas about knowing.

Pauline Buisch tells how my book Longing to Know opened her eyes to knowing across disparate fields, from her earlier music training to her eventual doctoral work and teaching in languages—not to mention relating with children. Pauline was a stand-out student at Redeemer Seminary, where for some years I taught my work for their apologetics requirement. Now with a PhD in Ancient Near East Studies from Notre Dame, she has joined the faculty at United Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She and husband Jonathan (priest, calligrapher, and another brilliant former student of mine) have three small children.

Gifts

• LTK available now in audio version. Links can be found on my Books page.
• All new “Afterword,” just now added to the LTK audiobook. Read it here.
• Fresh endorsements 20 years out. Scroll down to read.
• Short video interviews with key players in the LTK story linked on this page and on social media.
• Weekly “Juicy Quotes” and Stories of Knowing from LTK on social media.
• LTK giveaways throughout the year!
• The "Little Guy" turns 20 makeover!
• LTK Turns 20 birthday party in Pittsburgh, July 2023

Invitations

• Subscribers Only (Re)Read with the author! (Re)read LTK in 2023 and join me for an online conversation: Saturday, April 29, or Saturday September 30, 10-12 am (Eastern). Let me know if you can join.
• Lead your own LTK Book Club. Gather friends to (re)read Longing to Know. For bringing about a meeting and 5 new LTK book sales, I’ll gift a signed Meek book, your choice.
• Host a LTK Birthday Party in your area. If you and your friends are up for orchestrating a visit from me, let’s pick a date and dream up an event in your area. We can shape it to suit your group and vision. It can include a talk/interview with me. And a party! Join together to cover my expenses, and I’ll waive my speaker fee as a thank you for the party.
• Invite me to join you on your podcast to talk about Longing to Know.
• Share your story of Longing to Know. Write a paragraph recounting the value of the book in your life. I might share it in my monthly update or on the website.
• Invite others to (re)read LTK, to subscribe for my updates, and to join the celebration. Be responsible for 5 LTK book sales, and receive a special gift.

Little Guy turns 20, too!

Artist: Jordan A. King     @jordology

"Hey Dr. Meek,

I love Longing to Know!  You have been so helpful to me through it and the podcasts etc I have listened to. After 25 years as a PCA pastor ( I have met some of your students from Covenant seminary), I am now a traveling/teaching missionary and have given LTK to many of my friends (along with the Little Manual). Thank you for teaching me the obvious about knowing which wasn't so obvious!

Be encouraged that as I teach and coach pastors in Kenya and Colombia, your Covenantal grid for knowing is helping others in ways (and places) I never imagined!

Grateful for you and all the Lord is doing through you." — Rick Searle, Pastor/Missionary

"Having first heard of Michael Polanyi in the late 1990's, I was excited to see John Frame and others recommending the relevant work of Esther Lightcap Meek. For me, Longing to Know was a welcoming introduction to her thoughts on Polanyi and the human adventure of how we move towards knowing.

​As a philosophically inclined visual artist, I've spent years yearning and struggling to see my own believing, reasoning, and imagining grow up together. Through her sound analysis, approachable examples, and intuitive good sense, Esther leads her readers along, helpfully unfolding what she so wisely advocates. Simply put, this book made me long to read more of her work and learn more! And I'm glad I did, because it gets even deeper and richer! Looking forward to more...

Many thanks to Esther! Congratulations on 20 years of Longing To Know!" — Nathan Bertling, Visual Artist