LINDSEY GRINSTEAD | staff writer
Philosophy professor Dr. Wilkens shows his lighter side in a collection of answers to the countless conundrums of Christianity.
“People learn best when they are laughing,” professor of theology and author of “The Original Dr. Steve’s Almanac of Christian Trivia” Dr. Steve Wilkens said.
Wilkens’ book is a compilation of facts, oddities and anecdotes intended to inform and infuse a little humor into the lives of the readers while encouraging growth within the Christian community.
“It was one of those fluke things where I thought, ‘This is the type of book I would like to read,’ said Wilkens, “A lot of it was just odd little things I knew bits and pieces about and I’ve always been attracted to oddities and trivia like that.”
The book discusses some of the dysfunctional aspects of Christianity and the church’s history.
Wilkens said he tried to present the information in a light-hearted manner that points out the problems for readers in such a way that he or she will hopefully commit it to memory and avoid repeating the absurdity.
Wilkens’ book is a fast read that provides a brief respite for the mind during the downtime in a person’s day.
“God is the inventor of fun and we don’t always get our dose of that,” Wilkens said about the necessity for fun in daily life.
Wilkens’ almanac will be featured at registers in Barnes and Noble in various locations. 4,100 copies were purchased for the bookstore during the Christmas season.
“It’s the bathroom book in our apartment,” Junior philosophy major Ryan Cowden said. “It is random Christian fun stuff. It’s very tongue-in-cheek.”
Aside from his work as an author, Wilkens has been a professor at APU for twenty-one years. He currently teaches philosophy and ethics. He was born in Dighton, Kan. But he came to California 26 years ago to study at Fuller Theological Seminary. There he obtained his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Theology.
He used to be a “freeway flyer” to the High Sierra campus, but now remains on this campus, closer to his home and family in Monrovia, Calif. He lives with his wife Debra and their two children, Zoe and Zack. The fifth and honorary member of the family is a chubby basset hound named Mickey.
As a philosophy professor, Wilkens is aware of the fact that some students don’t choose to take his courses, but rather are forced to enroll in order to satisfy prerequisites.
He understands that oftentimes students come with negative predispositions toward the subject. His goal is to show them the brighter side of philosophy.
“One of his strengths as a teacher is the ability to pull relevant Christian truth and perspective from secular philosophy,” Cowden said.
“I look at myself not primarily as a scholar but as a teacher,” Wilkens said, “I like to keep the tone lighter.”
Prior to graduate school, Wilkens felt that philosophy was a deterrent for the Christian faith, but as he delved deeper into the subject matter, he realized he was wrong.
“There is something about this discipline that resonates with our humanity,” Wilkens said.
Wilkens strives to relate the lofty principles and ideas of philosophy to real life. He attempts to integrate philosophy into the ins-and-outs of human activities so students can see that philosophy is essential to understanding themselves and society.
“I believe I’ve got the best job in the world. I like being within a context where students have nothing but negative views of philosophy,” Wilkens said. “I like helping people learn how philosophy can be helpful to the community.” 
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