Meet Baylor’s nationally recognized expert on ethics & culture

One frequent criticism of higher education is that its findings often remain locked in the “ivory tower,” rather than being shared with the “real world.”

Dr. Thomas Hibbs is the counterpoint to that — a longtime dean (and even university president) who has consistently applied his knowledge to current events and popular culture and used mass media to share those insights.

Today, Hibbs serves as the J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus at Baylor. His impressive resume includes roles as inaugural dean of Baylor’s Honors College, founding director of the Baylor in Washington program, and president of the University of Dallas. His academic work draws on his background in medieval philosophy, with applications to modern-day political events, ethical questions, art, and more.

Over the years, Hibbs has authored books on everything from from Thomas Aquinas to Jerry Seinfeld (examining nihilism in popular culture), and media outlets like NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Chronicle of Higher Education have featured his insights on film and popular culture. His work can also regularly be found in Dallas Morning News columns. Perhaps his most popular column, “A Guide for Political Detox,” provided practical suggestions for Christians navigating the political landscape leading up to the 2024 U.S. election.

Bridging academic and popular publications is an opportunity, Hibbs says, to take important ideas to others for different kinds of impact. In a 2022 interview with Public Discourse, Hibbs explained that he “enjoy(s) moving back and forth between scholarly and more popular writing. The former takes patience and extended diligence. It is targeted to a fairly small community, one that helps shape the next generation of teachers. Popular writing requires a different kind of discipline. Limiting oneself to 700 words and working hard to translate insights from great authors into a contemporary idiom without dumbing down important issues presents its own challenges. It’s also nice know that there is a wider audience of readers hungry for more than what they get from media today.”

Sic ’em, Dr. Hibbs!