First of all, I think all of us are aware that the ideal is to buy the books. One of the (admittedly smaller, but my favorite) perks of going to school is to build up your library for when you become a professional. This is especially important for future pastors and religious leaders. There are […]
One of my favorite discoveries in seminary was stumbling on the “emerging church”. I wish I could give a perfect summary of the movement, but the groups and the thinkers around it are hard to define. I have even heard the movement described as “amorphous.” Very roughly, this group and the people attracted to them […]
As I’ve been making my way through school many people have been kind enough to pass books to me that give advice on how to “survive” different aspects of graduate school. Just looking at my bookshelf right now I have: “Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning a Master’s or PhD”; […]
This past Sunday I got to see an old seminary friend in action at her new church. We met almost 7 years ago during my very first year of seminary and I couldn’t help but be struck at how much she has grown as a preacher. While I had some one-on-one time over lunch with […]
Little known fact about me: I am a third generation seminarian. While other families might talk about politics, football, or family drama over the holidays, my Christmas family debates have always been about theology, pastoral care, and the life of Christianity. However, among three pastors, two missionaries, three seminary trained pastor’s wives, and me…only one […]
Some people are on the path of religious education from a very early age. I would say that about 50% of the people I meet in either a seminary or a religious studies department knew they would end up where they are in their early years of high school or jr. high.
Summer can mean a lot of different things to different people, but I have noticed a trend with those in religious circles in that the summer means packing in as much as possible. In the world we live in now, over-scheduling is normal. I get that. But there seems to be this special push over […]
I have been thinking a lot lately about w hether it is better to be extraordinary at just one thing, or good at a couple different things. Which one actually increases your chance of getting a job or being “successful”? Let me explain…
A little over a week ago I was scrolling through my Facebook feed on the train when I gasped and screeched, “WHAT?!” It had to be a hoax….right? I am of course talking about Nicaea III. While everyone else was gossiping about the NBA finals and new Disney movies, I could only talk about this […]
This may sound like a ridiculous thing to say, but I often find myself in awe of the versatility of religious studies. I suppose when I first started school I thought that what seminary entailed was fairly upfront and simple. I assumed you learned about the Old Testament, the New Testament, preaching, the Trinity, and […]
