Welcome to the website of Rico Vitz

BOOKS

Monograph

• Reforming the Art of Living: Nature, Virtue, and Religion in Descartes's Epistemology (Springer, 2015).

Edited Collections

• Turning East: Contemporary Philosophers and the Ancient Christian Faith, vol. 2 (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press) [forthcoming].

• Hume's Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology (Routledge, 2018).

• The Ethics of Belief: Individual and Social (Oxford, 2014).

• Turning East: Contemporary Philosophers and the Ancient Christian Faith (St. Vladimir's, 2012).

  • • Greek translation: Ατενίζοντας το Φως [Facing towards the Light] (Atermonon, 2016)

    • Romanian translation: Întoarcerea spre Răsărit [Returning Eastward] (Renastera, 2015)

JOURNAL, SPECIAL EDITION (EDITED)

• "Ethical and Religious Themes in Humean Philosophy," Res Philosophica 92, no. 3 (July 2015).

ARTICLES & ESSAYS

• “Sobornost and ‘Sympathetic Comprehension’: St. Maris of Paris, Anna Julia Cooper, and Christ’s Second Love Command.” Paideia Review 1 (2025).

• “Ritual, Tradition, and Culture: Reading Hume in Light of Classical Confucianism.” Hume Studies 49, no, 2 (2024): 315-30. 

• "Enriching Humean Sympathy: Reading Hume's Moral Philosophy in Light of African American Philosophical Thought." Hume Studies 48, no. 2 (2023): 241-262.

• "Developing a Neo-Humean Account of Forgiveness: A Comparative Philosophical Strategy.” In The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy and Psychology of Forgiveness, eds. Glen Pettigrove and Robert Enright (Routledge, 2023).

• "Eastern Orthodox Philosophical Thought.” In Oxford Bibliographies in Philosophy, ed. Duncan Pritchard (Oxford, 2021).

• “Cultural Embeddedness and the Mestiza Ethics of Care: A Neo-Humean Response to the Problem of Moral Inclusion.” Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 24 (2021): 1091-1107. [with Marissa Espinoza]

• “Mencius, Hume, and the Virtue of Humanity: Sources of Benevolent Moral Development.” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 28, no. 4 (2020): 693-713. [with Jeremiah Carey]

• “Moral Strangers as Co-Laborers in the Fields of Justice.” In A New Theist Response to the New Atheists, eds. Joshua Rasmussen and Kevin Vallier (Routledge, 2020).

• “Orthodoxy, Philosophy, and Ethics.” In Theology and Philosophy in Eastern Orthodoxy, ed. Christoph Schneider (Pickwick, 2019).

• “Hume’s Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology: Future Directions.” In Hume’s Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology, eds. Philip A. Reed and Rico Vitz (Routledge, 2018). 

• “Character, Culture, and Humean Virtue Ethics: Insights from Situationism and Confucianism.” In Hume’s Moral Philosophy and Contemporary Psychology, eds. Philip A. Reed and Rico Vitz (Routledge, 2018). 

• "'What is a Merciful Heart?' Affective-Motivational Aspects of the Second Love Command.” Faith and Philosophy 34, no. 3 (2017): 298-320.

• "The Divine Energies and the 'End of Human Life'." American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 91, no. 3 (2017): 473-489. [with Marissa Espinoza]

• "Bridging the 'Unbridgeable Gap': The Future of Conscientious Objection in a Secular Age." Christian Bioethics 23, no. 2 (2017): 149-168. [with Alain Leon]

• "The Nature and Functions of Sympathy in Hume's Philosophy." In The Oxford Handbook of David Hume, ed. Paul Russell (Oxford UP, 2016).

• "Contagion, Community, and Virtue in Hume's Epistemology." In The Ethics of Belief: Individual and Social (Oxford UP, 2014).

• "Introduction." In The Ethics of Belief: Individual and Social (Oxford UP, 2014). [with Jon Matheson]

• "Natural Law among Moral Strangers." Christian Bioethics 20, no. 2 (2014): 283-300. [with Bo Goss]

• "Plato's Republic." In Twelve Great Books that Changed the University, eds. Don Thorsen and Steve Wilkens (Cascade Books, 2014).

• "A Road from Rome through Antioch." in Turning East: Contemporary Philosophers and the Ancient Christian Faith (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2012).

• "Thomas More and the Christian 'Superstition': A Puzzle for Hume's Psychology of Religious Belief." The Modern Schoolman 88, nos. 3-4 (2011): 223–244.

• "Descartes and the Question of Direct Doxastic Voluntarism." Journal of Philosophical Research 35 (2010): 107-21.

• "Doxastic Virtues in Hume's Epistemology." Hume Studies 35, nos. 1-2 (2009): 211-29.

• "Doxastic Voluntarism.” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, eds. James Fieser and Bradley Dowden (February 2008).

• "Sympathy and Benevolence in Hume's Moral Psychology," Journal of the History of Philosophy 42, no. 3 (2004): 261-75.

• "Hume and the Limits of Benevolence," Hume Studies 28, no. 2 (2002): 271-95.

BOOK REVIEWS

• Review of Eastern Christian Approaches to Philosophy, edited by James Siemens and Joshua Matthan Brown, Journal of Orthodox Christian Studies, forthcoming.

• Review of Divine Energies and Divine Action: Exploring the Essence-Energies Distinction, by David Bradshaw, IOTA Publications, June 2024.

• Review of At the Roots of Christian Bioethics, edited by Ana Smith Iltis and Mark J. Cherry, HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum, January 2011.

• Review of Spectres of False Divinity: Hume’s Moral Atheism, by Thomas Holden, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, October 2010.

• Review of Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon, by Daniel Dennett, Faith and Philosophy, January 2010.

• Review of The Riddle of Hume’s Treatise: Skepticism, Naturalism, and Irreligion, by Paul Russell, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, July 2008.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Monograph

• Compassion, Community, and Culture: Reading Hume in Light of Confucianism 

Edited Collection

• David Hume: Comparative Philosophical Readings 

Articles and Essays

• "'Natural Rights' without Natural Law" for Humility of Right: Reconsidering Rights Language for Orthodox Christians, eds. Ryan Nash and Matthew Vest 

• “Hume and Zhuāngzĭ on Mysticism and Ineffability: Mutual Insights and Collaborative Challenges,” under review.

• “Beauty beyond Words: Reflections on Hume, St. Maximos, and the Nature of Religious Language,” in draft.

Book Review

• Review of The Problem of God in David Hume, by Anders Kraal, for Faith and Philosophy.

RESEARCH

• Scholarly Achievement Award, Azusa Pacific University, 2022

• Sabbatical, “Reading Hume's Moral Philosophy in Light of Classical Confucianism,” Azusa Pacific University, 2020

• Dean’s Scholar-Teacher Award, Azusa Pacific University, 2016

• Research Fellowship, Center for Christian Thought, Biola, 2015

• Emerging Scholar Award, Azusa Pacific University, 2014

• NEH Summer Stipend, “Hume’s Psychology of Religious Belief,” University of North Florida, 2008

• Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship, University of California - Riverside, 2000-2004

TEACHING

• Scholarly Undergraduate Research Award, Azusa Pacific University, 2015, 2016, 2017

• Mentor of the Year (nominee), University of North Florida, 2011

• Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of North Florida, 2010

• Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award (finalist), University of North Florida, 2009

• Mentor TA, TA Development Program, University of California - Riverside, 2005

• Teaching Excellence Award, University of California - Riverside, 2002

• Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Award (nominee), University of Utah, 2000

• Outstanding First-Year TA, University of Utah, 1999

VIDEO

• “Cultural Embeddedness and the Mestiza Ethics of Care: A Neo-Humean Response to the Problem of Moral Inclusion,” Hume Conference, Pontificia Universidad de Javariana, July 2021

• "Sympathy and Solidarity: Hume, Confucianism, and African-America Social Philosophy," Azusa Pacific University, April 2021.

• “Merciful Hearts and Passionate Souls,” Dallas Willard Center, Westmont College, May 2018.

• “An Introduction to Turning East: Contemporary Philosophers and the Ancient Christian Faith,” SVS Press Media, October 2012.

AUDIO

• "Orthodox Christianity, Virtue Ethics, and Social Psychology: Towards an Orthodox Response to the Situationist Challenge," International Orthodox Theological Association, Iaşi, Romania, January 2019.

• “Dr. Rico Vitz,” Conversations on Orthodoxy, Episode 9, January 2014.

INTERVIEWS (Print)

• "Faculty Friday: Rico Vitz -- When Plans Change for the Better," Azusa Pacific University (2023).

• “Reflections on the Inaugural Conference of the International Orthodox Theological Association (IOTA),” Studia Humana 8:1 (2019): 114-116.

  • Reprinted (Italian): “Intervista di Tudor Petcu a Rico Vitz sulla Romania,” Patriarcato di Mosca Parrocchia Ortodossa

• “The Unicity of Orthodox Spirituality,” Studia Humana 4:3 (2015): 51-55.

  • Reprinted (Italian): “L’unicità della Spiritualità Ortodossa,” Patriarcato di Mosca Parrocchia Ortodossa

  • Reprinted (German): “Die Einheit der Orthodoxie: Ein Interview mit dem amerikanischen Philosophen Prof. Rico Vitz,” Orthodoxie in Deutschland