Proximate Versus Ultimate Meaning
Study Guide
Notes
About the Authors
Most of the correspondence that makes up Greg Graffin's portion of this book was written while Bad
Religion was on its 2003 tour in the U.S. Southwest. Most of my notes were written at home, after work
or on Saturdays. So thanks, most of all, to my wife and best friend, Anne, who let me do that. I also thank
my colleagues, David Brisben, Robbie Castleman, Breck Castleman and Ed Klotz, who commented on the
manuscript, as well as Mike Clawson and Juliana Vazquez for their very useful comments and criticisms.
Thanks as well to Jenny Glass, an intelligent Bad Religion fan who wrote to Greg. Two of her letters are
included in these pages. Of course, a one-sided conversation is dull, so I'm grateful to Greg, who
challenged me to think.
For their comments on and criticisms of different parts of the manuscript, I am grateful to the following
students: Carole Anderson, Kenneth Boggs, Laura Boyd, Andrew Bradford, Laura Burgess, Tim Chang,
Lee Charles, Susan Crittenden, Mar Cruz, Snorri Danielsen, Andy Everding, Chris Fowler, Ethan Fowler,
Todd Frazier, Lindsay Hamm, Adam Harbottle, Alex Heitz, Gabriel Herrera, Samal Jakobsen, Carole
Johnson, Jennifer Johnson, Kandi Johnson, Ashley Kenline, Courtney Laufert, Sarah Lyman, Jared
Mackall, Matt Menhennett, Mark Minnich, Sophie Morris, Mary Nazworth, Jill Neufeld, Bethany Nelson,
Heidi Nightengale, Leah Olson, Carrie Peter, Nathan Piquard, Katie Radaker, Laura Ravenscroft, Peter
Rei ther, Matthew Sample, Courtney Simmons, Lauren Staton, Stephanie Watkins and Daniel Wolfe. I also
thank my teaching assistant, Ruby Vazquez, for her help with citations.
Finally, I am grateful to Al Hsu, my editor at IVP, whose patience, goodwill and professionalism are
enviable.
Naturalism: The view that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws.
Theism: Belief in the existence of a god or gods.
-American Heritage Dictionary