The Rev. John Jackman studied philosophy at NC State University and Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA before studying for his M. Div. at Moravian Theological Seminary. He is convinced that there is an ultimate truth out there that we perceive “through a mirror darkly.” Along with the philosophers of old, he believes that certain arguments are logically true, and others are logically fallacious — statements made with them might be accidentally true, but more often they are deceptions.
When he was young, Jackman was fascinated with magic. He became a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, learned about deception, misdirection, and illusion from old seasoned pros. He can still make a quarter fall through your hand or tell you the card you picked.
While majoring in Philosophy at Moravian College, Jackman took a course in the Philosophy of Rhetoric with the inimitable and unforgettable Dr. Christopher Russell. “Rhetoric” is the philosophy of persuasive speech — and discerning which forms of persuasive speech are legitimate and which are likely to deceive. Jackman says that Russell’s course had more of an impact on his public speaking and preaching than any course in seminary.
The unusual combination of these skills of show business deception and logic means that Jackman is uniquely skilled at spotting and analyzing deception in ads, political campaigns, and propaganda. He has a very low tolerance for sales techniques, which are usually manipulation and deception. Just ask his wife Debra how difficult he can be with salespeople!
John Jackman has had a vastly varied and expansive life. He worked as a magician and clown as a teen; one of his jobs was to do appearances in the Winnie the Pooh costume for Sears. He became interested in television and film production while in college, and has produced many documentaries and feature films. He became respected as an expert in digital production techniques, and served as contributing editor for Digital Video Magazine. He has taught professional classes for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the American Film Institute (AFI), and has served as a consultant to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. His technical books include Lighting for Digital Video and Television (now in its 4th edition) and Bluescreen Compositing. In the mid-1990s, he worked as special effects producer for several television pilots.
But Jackman has also pursued serious interests in ministry, helping the downtrodden. He served as a chaplain in a State Hospital and had training in counseling the mentally ill.