It is hard to fully describe what all I have experienced in the short time I've been here, but to say that it has been overwhelming in so many different ways is probably the only way I can describe it.
Today ended orientation, beginning with some small informational meetings, ending with the president's reception, dinner with the faculty, and convocation. I have met so many interesting people that I'm looking forward to getting to know.
I think what has been most surprising - and it was surprising during the preview weekend I was here also - is how much the spiritual and faith aspect of our education has been stressed this weekend. In almost every session, from professors across the different departments, from faculty and staff, the important of our education both being an academic endeavor and a spiritual experience has been heavily emphasized. It's refreshing, and it makes me glad that I am a part of a tradition (the reformed tradition) that emphasizes the importance of both spiritual and academic discipline. It has been surprising though.
I will give an update on how my first couple classes go tomorrow. I'm also adding professors' names to my classes in case anyone reading happens to know the professors here.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
My Revised Fall Schedule
Here is my new, revised schedule for the Fall. I had to rearrange some of my classes and dropped another based on the advice on some of the seniors I talked to. I'm pretty excited with what I'm taking:
Hebrew I (Prof. Hutton)
Speech Communication I (TBA)
Church History I (Profs McVey and Rorem)
Systematic Theology II (Profs Guder and McCormack)
Church as "Public": the ecclesiologies of Lindbeck, Hauerwas, Hutter and Barth (Prof. Flett)
Exegesis of the Epistle of Hebrews (Prof. Wagner)
Hebrew I (Prof. Hutton)
Speech Communication I (TBA)
Church History I (Profs McVey and Rorem)
Systematic Theology II (Profs Guder and McCormack)
Church as "Public": the ecclesiologies of Lindbeck, Hauerwas, Hutter and Barth (Prof. Flett)
Exegesis of the Epistle of Hebrews (Prof. Wagner)
Monday, September 17, 2007
More Placement News
Today was another good day with more good results. I have successfully placed out of three of the four main introduction classes. I do not have to take the Old Testament, New Testament or the first have of Systematic Theology orientation courses. Which means that instead of taking OT101, I am now taking Systematic Theology II. Unfortunately it means my books are more expensive and I will have to return some of them, but overall, I'm glad that I can accelerate my education a bit. That doesn't mean I'll be cutting down my time here: advanced placement only means I can replace those credits with upper division credits. So I'll still be taking the same number of classes. It does mean, though, that I can start getting into the exegesis and other deeper classes sooner.
So that's the main news for today. I'm going to get a head start on my reading since I will be bogged down with plenty of it in the coming weeks.
So that's the main news for today. I'm going to get a head start on my reading since I will be bogged down with plenty of it in the coming weeks.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Results of the Placement Exam and Orientation News
I was informed this evening that I have placed out of Greek! I do not have to take Greek at PTS. So phase 1 is complete. My next goal is to get advanced placement for at least the NT intro class. Then I can start taking exegesis classes as early as next semester. If I am able to also test out of my OT Intro class, then I can start taking an exegesis class this semester with a professor who I met at the seminar weekend I went to. So we'll see what happens. I'm praying that I can get out of both, and I feel fairly confident that I can get placed out of the NT intro class.
Orientation is going well. I have met many people from different backgrounds and experiences. It has been a fairly easy transition. I have felt right at home since the first night I arrived, and though things are moving perhaps more quickly than I would like, at the same time I am not feeling left behind or alone.
This morning I attended Hopewell Presbyterian Church. It was a good experience, it was very welcoming from the first moment I stepped in with another seminarian who gave me a ride. The service was good, and I met a couple of APU grads from Redlands, one of whom was teaching a Freshmen Writing Seminar my first year there. So that was encouraging; it could very become my home church out here.
I've been using TV as my outlet to relax, so I've been watching a lot of Discovery channel programming and baseball when it's available. It can be nice sometimes to turn off my mind for 30 minutes to let myself recoup and not have to think about what is weighing on me. And of course, I'm reading and doing my usual logic puzzles as well.
I'm excited for this week. Classes begin Wednesday, so that's when it all breaks loose I suppose. But I'm looking forward to it. It should be an interesting semester.
Orientation is going well. I have met many people from different backgrounds and experiences. It has been a fairly easy transition. I have felt right at home since the first night I arrived, and though things are moving perhaps more quickly than I would like, at the same time I am not feeling left behind or alone.
This morning I attended Hopewell Presbyterian Church. It was a good experience, it was very welcoming from the first moment I stepped in with another seminarian who gave me a ride. The service was good, and I met a couple of APU grads from Redlands, one of whom was teaching a Freshmen Writing Seminar my first year there. So that was encouraging; it could very become my home church out here.
I've been using TV as my outlet to relax, so I've been watching a lot of Discovery channel programming and baseball when it's available. It can be nice sometimes to turn off my mind for 30 minutes to let myself recoup and not have to think about what is weighing on me. And of course, I'm reading and doing my usual logic puzzles as well.
I'm excited for this week. Classes begin Wednesday, so that's when it all breaks loose I suppose. But I'm looking forward to it. It should be an interesting semester.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Greek Placement Test
I took my Greek placement test today. I felt that I did pretty well. The test was two hours, and I used almost every minute of it. It wasn't a tough test, but there are still a few places that gave me a small spot of trouble. I was given a fairly large passage from I Corinthians. It was 12:12-27, the passage about what it means to be the body of Christ. That was by far the more difficult of the two passages. A lot of syntatical elements to muddle through, a few participles here and there. A good overall passage to cover most of the basics of biblical Greek, and a good refresher for me.
The second passage, which I think I pretty much nailed, was a hybrid passage from John. Verses 52-54 and 67-70 were combined into one short paragraph. I know I completely messed up on one very short question in that passage (instead of saying, "where would we go," I said "where should we follow you?") but overall I felt comfortable with how I did. Hopefully I did well enough to pass out, so we'll see how everything goes. I find out on Sunday night or Monday morning, so here's hoping!
The second passage, which I think I pretty much nailed, was a hybrid passage from John. Verses 52-54 and 67-70 were combined into one short paragraph. I know I completely messed up on one very short question in that passage (instead of saying, "where would we go," I said "where should we follow you?") but overall I felt comfortable with how I did. Hopefully I did well enough to pass out, so we'll see how everything goes. I find out on Sunday night or Monday morning, so here's hoping!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Purpose of this Site!
So I have finally determined what I will be using this site for! This will be my site for occasional updates on my goings on at Princeton as I spend my time here. I'll still update my xanga with more personal stuff, but this will be used to let people know how things are going here. And the title still seems to fit, so we'll keep it. =) More to come later!
Friday, May 18, 2007
Bible Matters
Where does the Bible fall in terms of guiding day-to-day lifestyle? The Evangelical world has tagged the Bible as the all-purpose answer book for most every need. Not sure what to eat? How to deal with that ex-girlfriend? What shoe-sole works best for keeping blisters down? Just look it up in the Bible!
Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but not by much. How much does the Bible really have to say for daily living? A lot of Christians hold to the belief that the Bible should be the guide for living life to the most minute level, yet discerning that guidance is a daunting task that most people don't bother taking up anyway. The Bible, I'm sorry to say, seldom has a clear message simply based on the fact that it's a collection of ancient documents. Culture has changed significantly in the last 2000-3000 years. Our lives are not driven by finding food every day lest we starve, or searching for clean drinking water. Our lot in life is not set in stone. The businesses we work in and the people we work for differ greatly from the professions and businesses that existed then. Though similar in some respects, life is so drastically different from the time that Jesus walked the earth.
What's more, does the Bible even claim to be that guide for us? Controversial, I know, but look at who's writing. The Bible, on most accounts, is a story told about God's interaction with the world. From creation to incarnation to resurrection to the end, the documents in the Bible attest to God's action within the world. It doesn't claim to be a book of doctrines, and for the most part any advice for living is set in very specific contexts. Almost all the Pauline epistles are written in response to a specific problem or problems in particular churches. If not, Paul is writing concerning a specific issue that he deems requires some sort of intervention on his part. In other words, he does not have a general letter or writing in the Bible that says here is how Christians should act in general, here is how Christians should live in general. The closest there is to that is Romans, which most scholars agree is a fundraising letter, and even there, the advice is very brief and not thorough. The Biblical literature we have was compiled and is accepted as canon because it best explains and provides foundation for the doctrines of the church through the story it tells. It's purpose is to tell the story of God's interaction in the world and asks for a response.
Where the Bible does provide guidance, as I said before, it does not do so clearly. In one letter, one can find the encouragement to obey local authorities and governments, where in another one can find the call to oppose the government. In one writing, the wealthy are considered the favored of God where in another they are the bane of humanity's existence and every wealthy person is destined to rot in Hell. The only truly consistent message in the Bible concerning living is to help the poor as well as only worshiping only God.
And yet I think there is an expectation to live a certain way and conduct your life in a way pleasing to God. However, I don't think this is clearly spelled out in the Biblical documents, and I think that's purposeful. God didn't create us to be robots and life is not a mechanical thing. Different situations call for different actions and what is appropriate in one context is inappropriate in another. So where is the guidance? Perhaps that is where reliance on God outside of the Bible comes in. The Bible is an essential part of the Christian faith, don't get me wrong, but God wants more than a commitment to a book. He wants a commitment to Him, and though He is written about in a book, he himself is not the book. Perhaps that is where prayer is most important, but also engaging in life and asking for discernment in what is true and not. Appreciating life in facets other that "Christian" works but knowing where to draw the line. It's an interesting thought to ponder.
Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but not by much. How much does the Bible really have to say for daily living? A lot of Christians hold to the belief that the Bible should be the guide for living life to the most minute level, yet discerning that guidance is a daunting task that most people don't bother taking up anyway. The Bible, I'm sorry to say, seldom has a clear message simply based on the fact that it's a collection of ancient documents. Culture has changed significantly in the last 2000-3000 years. Our lives are not driven by finding food every day lest we starve, or searching for clean drinking water. Our lot in life is not set in stone. The businesses we work in and the people we work for differ greatly from the professions and businesses that existed then. Though similar in some respects, life is so drastically different from the time that Jesus walked the earth.
What's more, does the Bible even claim to be that guide for us? Controversial, I know, but look at who's writing. The Bible, on most accounts, is a story told about God's interaction with the world. From creation to incarnation to resurrection to the end, the documents in the Bible attest to God's action within the world. It doesn't claim to be a book of doctrines, and for the most part any advice for living is set in very specific contexts. Almost all the Pauline epistles are written in response to a specific problem or problems in particular churches. If not, Paul is writing concerning a specific issue that he deems requires some sort of intervention on his part. In other words, he does not have a general letter or writing in the Bible that says here is how Christians should act in general, here is how Christians should live in general. The closest there is to that is Romans, which most scholars agree is a fundraising letter, and even there, the advice is very brief and not thorough. The Biblical literature we have was compiled and is accepted as canon because it best explains and provides foundation for the doctrines of the church through the story it tells. It's purpose is to tell the story of God's interaction in the world and asks for a response.
Where the Bible does provide guidance, as I said before, it does not do so clearly. In one letter, one can find the encouragement to obey local authorities and governments, where in another one can find the call to oppose the government. In one writing, the wealthy are considered the favored of God where in another they are the bane of humanity's existence and every wealthy person is destined to rot in Hell. The only truly consistent message in the Bible concerning living is to help the poor as well as only worshiping only God.
And yet I think there is an expectation to live a certain way and conduct your life in a way pleasing to God. However, I don't think this is clearly spelled out in the Biblical documents, and I think that's purposeful. God didn't create us to be robots and life is not a mechanical thing. Different situations call for different actions and what is appropriate in one context is inappropriate in another. So where is the guidance? Perhaps that is where reliance on God outside of the Bible comes in. The Bible is an essential part of the Christian faith, don't get me wrong, but God wants more than a commitment to a book. He wants a commitment to Him, and though He is written about in a book, he himself is not the book. Perhaps that is where prayer is most important, but also engaging in life and asking for discernment in what is true and not. Appreciating life in facets other that "Christian" works but knowing where to draw the line. It's an interesting thought to ponder.
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