And this gray spirit yearning in desire / To follow knowledge like a sinking star / Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson, Ulysses

The essays on this site are presented by a group of permanent and dedicated authors.  Background creates perspective, and perspective influences conclusions.  The following biographical summaries are intended to provide background information about the authors, and, thus, context for their essays.

JEREMY GAYED

Jeremy is a practicing attorney, and a proud alum of both Notre Dame (J.D.) and Wheaton College (degrees in chemistry and political science).

Jeremy’s interests include theology, literature (particularly folk or fairy tales, which are, in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, “the best way — sometimes the only way — of conveying truths that would otherwise remain inexpressible”), deer hunting, and boxing.  Jeremy lives with his wife, children, and dog.

THOMAS LYONS

Thomas Lyons is from Madison, WI. He went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and has degrees in Economics and Sociology. He enjoys discussions of politics, philosophy, baseball, and film. He lives with his wife and two children.

PAUL GOODELL

Paul is a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois (BA in Political Science) and The George Washington University in Washington DC (Masters in Public Policy).  He’s lived in four different time zones on two different continents.  He’s worked as a direct-care social service provider, a health care policy researcher, a telecom policy lobbyist, and an ESL teacher (in South Korea).  He was raised in the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), but converted to the Roman Catholic Church as an adult in April, 2004.  He enjoys reading good books (especially fantasy/science fiction, biographies, and philosophy), writing, and watching sports (especially American football, baseball, and basketball).  Currently, Paul lives with his wife in the Chicago area, where he works as a freelance grant writer.

BENJAMIN GAYED

Benjamin lives in Chicago with his wife and two kids. He graduated from Huntington University with a degree in chemistry and currently attends Northwestern University School of Medicine, which consumes the overwhelming majority of his time. Benjamin’s interests primarily include his kids, golf, music, and watching football.

ROBERT WAINGRO

Robert Waingro is a white, male, American Evangelical Christian in his late 20s. Waingro was raised in an urban environment in Texas, the oldest child in a large single-parent home. Both the urban setting and the role played by Waingro in his family helped to shape many of his views on poverty and social justice.  Waingro attributes his attendance at Wheaton College, where he earned a degree in Business/Economics, to providence. Robert determined a calling to serve overseas 4.5 years ago and now works in a senior management position for an International Non-Government Organization (INGO).  In American Churches Robert is most often described as a missionary, however, he considers his true vocation that of an international aid worker.  Robert tends to think of the Church as the Global body of people who call themselves Christians across denominational lines and without regard to corporate bodies; he believes that through the Church God has a plan to reach the “least of these” for His names’ sake both now and for eternity.