Introducing my newsletter
Topics: Meaning-making, practical ethics, and addiction medicine
Welcome to my newsletter!
If you’re reading this, you’ve either read one of my previous newsletters, attended a lecture or seminar I’ve led, or supported my journey in theology and medicine. So, thank you!
After encouragement from friends and loved ones to put my thoughts on a writing platform, I figured this time of year after my licensing exam was as good a time as any to oblige. May this newsletter provide at the very least entertainment amid the winter doldrums. Hopefully it will also give you material for action, reflection, and exchanging ideas.
As to the contents of these thoughts, they’ll mostly cover three areas: (1) Re-enchantment and meaning-making as solutions to addictive behaviors, from the perspectives of medical and psychological sciences, philosophy, and theology, (2) practical ethics, and, (3) commentary on my and others’ recent medical and psychological research, especially in addiction. The last area was a suggestion from people who were interested in my research topics but found my and other scientific writing too dry and overwritten. The writing styles journals encourage are clunky and also discourage drawing deeper moral or theological implications. I’m still learning to optimize my writing in those settings.
In the meantime, I’m indebted to those who told me to rewrite the way I would’ve wanted. I’m excited to include the style and philosophical commentary that should accompany some of these articles. Basically this newsletter lets me make a “Taylor’s version,” or Brandon’s version, of any academic articles (instead of music albums).
While I’ll do my best to stay focused on those listed topics, my distractible family med brain sometimes redirects me to other topics up to and including actual theology. Thankfully, this medium encourages practice and feedback, so please let me know what I might improve on and what you’d like to see more discussed. I’m aiming to put out a few essays first and then a new piece every 1-2 months along with links to other work. As pieces come out, please share this with anyone you’d think would be interested. (And of course, I wouldn’t be offended if this isn’t your thing and you’d rather opt out/unsub early.) I’d love to hear from all of you. With that, may discovery and meaning-making commence!