Berkeley, born in Ireland in 1685, is usually classified as an “Empiricist”, along with two other Brits John Locke and David Hume. But as you will see, he was a character all his own. He started out following Locke claiming that all we have on which to base our knowledge claims are the “impressions” made…

Back in 1960 I had the opportunity to hear Paul Tillich lecture and meet Reinhold Niebuhr. Tillich’s lecture was at Unitarian Church of All Souls. His topic was “Religious Existentialism”, and the place was packed. Tillich began, with a heavy German accent, in this wise: “I want to begin with a very paradoxical statement. There…