Mark Vernon
Personal Information
Description
Mark Vernon used to be a priest in the Church of England and is now a writer, pursuing the ancient philosophers’ great question, how to live? His books cover subjects from friendship and belief, to wellbeing and meaning, and he edits two series from Acumen, The Art of Living and Heretics. He also writes as a journalist, his work appearing regularly in the Guardian, TLS, Evening Standard and on the BBC. He is a keen blogger, and has also appeared on a wide range of platforms including at the Hay, Edinburgh International, Oxford and Dartington book festivals. His books have appeared in translation around the world. His studies began with a degree in physics, before two degrees in theology, followed by a PhD in philosophy – an academic journey that took him from the universities of Durham and Oxford to Warwick. Mark is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck College, London. Having lived in Germany, the North East of England, and spent extended periods of time in France, he now lives in south London. [Source]
Books
The Meaning of Friendship
A small collection of 12 thoughts on the subject of true friendship. These have been taken from his writings and solicit a thinking man's ability to find the correlation to his own life journey.
How to be an agnostic
"The authentic spiritual quest is marked not by certainties but by questions and doubt. How To Be An Agnostic explores the wonder of science, the ups and downs of being 'spiritual but not religious', the insights of ancient philosophy, and God the biggest question. Mark Vernon was an Anglican priest, left a conviction atheist, and now finds himself to be a committed, searching agnostic. Part personal story, part spiritual search, this journey through physics and philosophy concludes that the contemporary lust for certainty is demeaning of our humanity. We live in a time of spiritual crisis, but the key to wisdom – as Socrates, the great theologians and the best scientists know – is embracing the limits of our knowledge. This much expanded edition was previously published as After Atheism, and includes new chapters looking at mindfulness meditation, pic'n'mix religion, quantum spirituality, the probability of God and why Stephen Hawking is wrong about nothing."--Publisher description.
What not to say
'What Not To Say' is witty and thought-provoking, and whilst never moralising, does have a serious aim. First, to enable readers to speak more truthfully in difficult situations. Second, to allow readers to talk about personal problems in a wider perspective that can often ease the pain.
Love
42
Drawing his inspiration from 42 of the funniest, wisest, and quirkiest quotations on the big questions in life, Vernon offers a light-hearted look at what philosophy has to say about life, the Universe, and everything. Deftly interweaving the thoughts of the greatest minds of all time, from Socrates to Monty Python, Vernon provides a platter of witty yet profound discussions on work, love, eternal life, sex, and happiness. From the allure of cats to the nature of wisdom, this rip-roaring read is the perfect companion for the armchair philosopher, and proves that even a little introspection can transform our lives for the better! -
The philosophy of friendship
"In this new, accessible philosophy of friendship, Mark Vernon examines the love called friendship upon which so much happiness depends. He links the resources of the philosophical tradition with numerous illustrations from modern culture to ask about friendship and sex, work, politics and spirituality. Unusually, he argues that Plato and Nietzsche, as much as Aristotle and Aelred, should be put centre stage. Their penetrating and occasionally tough insights are invaluable if friendship is to be a full, not merely sentimental, way of life for today."--Jacket.