Soul Renovatus

A note to all theology/seminary professors...

One of the illuminating facts Andy Stanley has taught me about teaching is that you have to be engaging.

I say this because I've been listening to lectures on CD's for extension courses I've been taking through the seminary.  I'm sure there are engaging professors, but these guys on the CDs are the most boring people I've ever listened to in my life. The stereotype with professors teaching theology is guys sitting in an ivory tower, with these incredible minds, dispensing profound insights in their texts; yet when faced with people in front of them, become the perfect sleeping pill. 

Here is my proposal. Give me your script that you read from (because even a 5 year old could tell), and give it to me and I'll read it. 

I've been excited about learning theology of the Early church, but it has been one sleeping pill after another.  Dr. Wittmer, my theology prof, might be able to break this stereotype for me, if he were to try to become one of these profs who did these CD's.  Another prof at the seminary, who did another class I took, admitted that he sounded boring (although in a live class he is MUCH better).

I would love teaching about this stuff (b/c it has direct relevance to some of today's thought), but please find someone to read it for you that is engaging.  You sound perfect for the local classical music radio station; that doesn't work for a younger person who uses those stations for putting his kids to bed.

A new semester begins...

Okay, so Greek definitely was as advertised, a lot of work.  The Greek adventure continues this semester as well as these other three classes:

1. Systematic Theology 2: focusing on sin, Christology, and the Holy Spirit

2. Historical Theology 1 (The Ancient Church): this is studying historical theology of the early church.   I'm looking forward to it, but it's just as much reading as the Sys 2.

3. Sociology of Adolescence: Hopefully this class will be enjoyable, just a lot more reading here as well.

I am 1/3 through my degree. I'm keeping that as my focus right now.  Lots of changes to the schedule, and I'm hoping my new schedule can start a workout regiment (which I'm trying to start tomorrow). 

Off we go!

What I'm studying for finals...and advice for each...

I have two major final exams, Systematic Theology I and Greek I.  Here is the study guide for each.

1. Systematic Theology I:  Here is the study guide I wrote down given by Dr. Wittmer:

1. Know Kant
2. Inerrancy
3. Freedom: explain each, and what you believe—defense
4. Luther’s theology of the cross
5. Define omnipotence.
6. The problem of evil—describe popular approaches (free will defense), why no approach can solve it, and then what can we say about it?
7. Schliermacher: father of liberalism (God is a feeling of absolute dependence)
8.  Role of Scripture and tradition: how they’re related. Our final but not only authority.
9. Rational/Irrational/Suprarational
10. God’s transcendance/immanence: how it impacts open theism.  How it applies to us in revelation (Calvin: baby talk)
11. Trinity: ego, what your view is. Strengths and weaknesses of it.  Practical advantages of Trinitarian view.
12. Divine simplicity: what it means, objections, do you believe it?
13. Special revelation: how does God speak to us today? Through Bible?

2. Greek I: Here is the study guide I wrote down from Dr. Meadors (with the sage advice of my friend Brent Kladder):

"Know everything." (in this case lessons 1-18 of our book)

It's 5am, I've got the sys 1 final in 3 and half hours.  Then Greek tomorrow morning, then an 8-10 pager and a confession on the doctrine of God to revise.

I can't wait for this week of school to be over.

Free Will/Predestination...does it matter?

I am still working through my thoughts on a current theology class' discussion on free will and predestination.  I have a particular posture toward a view, but of course, I'm asking a million questions.

I asked my professor of what effect either side (in this case Calvinism or Arminianism/Wesleyan) has an everyday living, to which he responded, "It doesn't have any effect on how you live, just on how you think about things."  (You can correct me if I'm wrong.)

The only difference it made to me is explaining whether we are robots or people with free choice.  My professors assertion (and I agree to it) is that all sides agree we have an uncoerced will, which means that we freely can choose what we want.  For example, if I want to eat Cookies and Creme ice cream, I can choose to do so.

The difference comes in contrary choices, choosing between alternatives.  Calvinists believe that God decrees what will will happen in the future, and therefore our choices, yet not violate our uncoerced will; Arminians believe that humans have the freedom to choose (without decree) to those alternatives, but God can choose to know the future at that moment to know what choice you are going to make.  (At least that's what I'm thinking it means).

Regardless of these definitions, how does this make a difference in everyday life?  For me, the only thing that seems to matter is whether or not we are robots or not.  It's hard for me to see anything beyond that, except maybe God's power and knowledge and how far that extends?   I'm still trying to work it out. 

Ok, rant/thought ending...

My classes this semester...

Alright here are the classes I have this fall:

1) Greek I:  My most brutal class.  I have heard way too many stories about this class and they're all not good.  I'm looking forward to learning the language, I just know it's going to be a lot of work.

2) Program Introduction Seminar:  I think this is a class on how to be a good seminary student (which means doing good research and writing great papers). Otherwise, I have no idea what it's about. I just know all MDiv students have to take it.

3) Teaching and Learning for Christian Nurture: This class is basically about teaching the Bible creatively.  There is a lot of teaching time as individuals and groups.  I've heard this is one of the best classes the seminary has and it sounds like a lot of fun to me.

4) Systematic Theology I: I'll be honest, the whole idea of systematic theology repulses me.  From what I see in the syllabus, there are some things that seem more hopeful.  But there's no doubt this class will kill my brain from all of the reading and my butt from the constant kicking it will receive.

So there you go, four classes.  I am also teaching with my friend Jim in Fifty6 this fall (which I'm very excited about), playing darts, working, and much more.

A good first semester of seminary...

Well, I just saw my grades for my first semester...all As!  I got one A-, so I ended up with a 3.9 GPA.  Feels good for all that hard work to pay off in the end. 

Next semester, I'm taking four classes, which will be a stretch (esp. considering Greek is one of them), but we will see how it goes.  If I do the 4 in the fall 3 in the spring schedule, I will be done hopefully by spring of 2011 with and MDiv.  Right now I'm trying to see if I can a find a refresher Greek course online to see if I can test out of the first two years of Greek.  I took it ages ago, but I forgot a lot of it.

I also went back to my Torah study last night, which was refreshing.  It was great to see the group again and get right back to discussing Torah. I have learned so much from that and from the people in it.

I also wrote down my tentative reading list this summer that I hope to plug through.  It's hard to read these books when you're in school providing you're reading a thousand other books.

Starting seminary...

So, I've finally started seminary.  Life has been pretty nuts enough before this started, now it's just getting more cramped.  Here are the classes I'm taking this semester:

1) Biblical Hermeneutics
2) Organizational Leadership
3) Christian Spiritual (Trans)Formation

#3 is the only class I attend on campus.  I take the other two by extension.  Hermeneutics is definitely a class I need to study for in the early evening or during the day because listening to the lectures late at night do nothing but help me sleep better.

Organizational Leadership is probably the class I'm most excited about. I'm already gaining many insights from reading the first book so far (Reframing Organizations by Bolman and Deal).  It's an online class, so lots of papers and message board posts.

The Formation class is uh...ok I guess.  We'll wait and see.  Thankfully, three of my friends are in it, including my friend Joe. One of the objectives in the syllabus was "practice appropriate spiritual disciplines."  As opposed to the inappropriate ones like reading Brian McClaren and contemplative prayer.  I'll save that for a later post because I want to wait and see what happens.

Besides all of that, I am a bit anxious because it's been a long time since I've been in school.  Obviously there's MUCH more reading (you actually have to READ the books in graduate level courses), and much more papers to write.  I'm enjoying not having to take tests as much.  Most of the undergrad tests were pretty stupid in my opinion.  I didn't learn too much from most of that stuff. I learned a lot more by the papers I had to write.

This definitely requires much more discipline time management wise, but so far I feel okay.  I'm a little bit behind, but you have to plan out which classes you are studying for which nights and stay on schedule.  So far, it's okay.  I think the hardest part is making sure Julia and I have some time alone just to chill and chat.

I still have no idea where seminary is going to lead at this point, but I'm sure it will become more clearer as I trod along this journey.