Burke with his father.
Courtesy | Tom Burke
In this Quick Hits, Professor of Philosophy and Religion Tom Burke talks Handel, prayer, and his childhood best friends.
Do you believe in any conspiracy theories? If so, which is your favorite?
Do I believe in conspiracy theories? None of the conspiracies I believe in are theories. They’re fact. So probably the most obvious is that the JFK assassination couldn’t possibly have just been Lee Harvey Oswald. There had to be a bigger conspiracy.
What is your oldest childhood memory?
The oldest one I can articulate is playing outside my house. I was probably 4 years old, waiting for the four o’clock Western to come on. And then I saw my mother run out of the house with her apron on fire and running to the neighbors, who quickly put the fire out. This was a long time ago, so she wound up spending three months in the hospital, but for a burn like that today, they’d send you home the same day.
Who is your favorite philosopher?
My two favorite philosophers to read are Ludwig Wittgenstein and Immanuel Kant, not because I agree with them, but because Kant’s arguments are so beautifully formulated, and Wittgenstein’s arguments are so obscure, so you have to really think about them.
What was your first job?
My first job was working in a print shop, sorting things out and doing little odd jobs around there, whatever needed to be done, sweeping the floor.
What was the most interesting class you took in school?
The course in Roman history I took was fantastic. The teacher was an uncle to Van Cliburn, the pianist, but he had a deep, resonant voice, and every lecture was like a performance, and it was just a great course.
Did you have a childhood best friend?
I had two — one when I was younger, up till about the third or fourth grade, then one up through high school. I was at a party, and I came down with appendicitis, and I fainted going up the stairs from the garage on my way to the bathroom to probably throw up. And my high school friend was behind me, and I fainted and fell backward. And so he probably, if he didn’t save my life, he certainly saved me from severe injury, because I was about halfway up the stairs.
Which invention do you think changed the world most?
The development of written language.
Who has inspired you in your career?
Two people that were most influential on my life are Billy Graham, because I became a serious Christian at the 1957 New York crusade with Billy Graham. The second person would be John Warwick Montgomery, who was a professor at the seminary I went to, and probably the brightest guy I ever met and knew, and he inspired me to get into academics. He made it clear that scholarship was really important in the Christian faith.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Pray more — particularly when you’re in the ministry, evangelize more, and write more.
Which song would you choose if you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life?
It’d have to be Handel’s “Messiah.” I mean, I like all the other stuff, but that would be the most enriching.
What was your favorite part about college?
I suppose what I enjoyed was the classes and then just fellowship — being with friends and talking and so forth.
Have you ever read a book that changed your life?
Just the Bible, I suppose.
What advice would you give to a Hillsdale student?
I would advise them, first of all, to make sure they know Christ as their personal savior. Second of all, make sure their commitment is lived out with integrity.
