Confessions
Im a little late to the "confessions" fray started by Ben Meyers at Faith and Theology, but better late than never I suppose:
1.) I confess...that I read Blue Like Jazz a while back, and I'm still not quite sure what all the hype and fuss was about. Sure hes a decent writer, but not a fantastic one. Sure he has some good ideas, but nothing spectacular. I chose to read this instead of re-reading Paradise Lost and was disappointed (not really a fair comparison to be sure...but nevertheless).
2.)I confess...ditto about George Lindbeck's Nature of Doctrine. I actually really enjoyed it as a read, but I thought that it (somewhat obviously) left a lot to be desired. Again I was dissapointed, as I chose to read this (short!) work over Vanhoozer's Drama of Doctrine which leads me to...
3.) I confess...I haven't read Vanhoozer's latest book and am ashamed.
4.)I confess...that I am constantly worried that all of the theology I am currently learning, and will have learned, by the time of my graduation next spring, will decidely be in spite of rather than because of, my education at the Bible College I am currently attending (a feeling I know Adam shares). I have to thank my friends Adam and Halden at this point for always recommending avenues of research to me, even if I only have time to read some of their recommendations. Edited Disclaimer: Don't take this the wrong way, I love all my professors, they are all very educated and good at what they do. There is just a great divide between how awesome they are and the (majority, not all) of the literature assigned to us.
5.)I confess...that I have only been reading (and understanding) theology on any time of academic level since my entrance at Multnomah two years ago (though I started Pannenberg and Tillich in highschool) and am in a constant state of frustration as I attempt to catch up to my learned friends. (Nothing is more stressfull than trying to catch up to Halden) ;)
6.)I confess...my dissapointment that Pannenberg is retired, as it would have been a dream to go learn under him at Munich.
7.) I confess...that I have not yet been able to get myself excited about Barth quae Barth (sorry David!) but enjoy his theology more through the lenses of Robert Jenson and Colin Gunton.
8.) I confess...that I am torn between a paradoxical tendency to be disgusted about the ignorance that pervades Evangelical assemblies regarding theology, and on the other, being offended by somewhat learned "armchair theologians" who dismiss the truly great thinkers like Barth and Bultmann (I didn't say I don't respect Barth, I just don't really want to read him right now) because they attempt creative revisions of our understanding.
9.) I confess...that I have an unhealthy fascination with why in the hell my school decided 1.) to pick a standard systematic theology and 2.) that this happens to be Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. It is like a 1400 page waste of time. Why have a "standard" Systematic Theology at all? I would rather read 1400 pages of selected works on various theological topics.
10.)I confess...that I am still of the opinon that Theology, even if contextual, is always (or should always) attempt to have the One Church in mind, and since we confess to know God as the ground of the totality of existence, that everything is Sub Ratione Dei or in relation to God, and so theology utimately aims to be cross-disciplinary and trans-contextual, even if this always is situated by particular, contextualized explanations.
11.) I confess...that I constantly worry about not being a good theology professor when the time comes, and I also constantly am perplexed at how much I have to read, and how I am to remember it all (which might be confessed like: I remember only around half of everything I read, and literally lay awake at night mulling over what I have forgotten).
1.) I confess...that I read Blue Like Jazz a while back, and I'm still not quite sure what all the hype and fuss was about. Sure hes a decent writer, but not a fantastic one. Sure he has some good ideas, but nothing spectacular. I chose to read this instead of re-reading Paradise Lost and was disappointed (not really a fair comparison to be sure...but nevertheless).
2.)I confess...ditto about George Lindbeck's Nature of Doctrine. I actually really enjoyed it as a read, but I thought that it (somewhat obviously) left a lot to be desired. Again I was dissapointed, as I chose to read this (short!) work over Vanhoozer's Drama of Doctrine which leads me to...
3.) I confess...I haven't read Vanhoozer's latest book and am ashamed.
4.)I confess...that I am constantly worried that all of the theology I am currently learning, and will have learned, by the time of my graduation next spring, will decidely be in spite of rather than because of, my education at the Bible College I am currently attending (a feeling I know Adam shares). I have to thank my friends Adam and Halden at this point for always recommending avenues of research to me, even if I only have time to read some of their recommendations. Edited Disclaimer: Don't take this the wrong way, I love all my professors, they are all very educated and good at what they do. There is just a great divide between how awesome they are and the (majority, not all) of the literature assigned to us.
5.)I confess...that I have only been reading (and understanding) theology on any time of academic level since my entrance at Multnomah two years ago (though I started Pannenberg and Tillich in highschool) and am in a constant state of frustration as I attempt to catch up to my learned friends. (Nothing is more stressfull than trying to catch up to Halden) ;)
6.)I confess...my dissapointment that Pannenberg is retired, as it would have been a dream to go learn under him at Munich.
7.) I confess...that I have not yet been able to get myself excited about Barth quae Barth (sorry David!) but enjoy his theology more through the lenses of Robert Jenson and Colin Gunton.
8.) I confess...that I am torn between a paradoxical tendency to be disgusted about the ignorance that pervades Evangelical assemblies regarding theology, and on the other, being offended by somewhat learned "armchair theologians" who dismiss the truly great thinkers like Barth and Bultmann (I didn't say I don't respect Barth, I just don't really want to read him right now) because they attempt creative revisions of our understanding.
9.) I confess...that I have an unhealthy fascination with why in the hell my school decided 1.) to pick a standard systematic theology and 2.) that this happens to be Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. It is like a 1400 page waste of time. Why have a "standard" Systematic Theology at all? I would rather read 1400 pages of selected works on various theological topics.
10.)I confess...that I am still of the opinon that Theology, even if contextual, is always (or should always) attempt to have the One Church in mind, and since we confess to know God as the ground of the totality of existence, that everything is Sub Ratione Dei or in relation to God, and so theology utimately aims to be cross-disciplinary and trans-contextual, even if this always is situated by particular, contextualized explanations.
11.) I confess...that I constantly worry about not being a good theology professor when the time comes, and I also constantly am perplexed at how much I have to read, and how I am to remember it all (which might be confessed like: I remember only around half of everything I read, and literally lay awake at night mulling over what I have forgotten).
Comments
Right now my choice is between Western, Multnomah, and George Fox (the latter only if my "inside guy" can really get me a discount to abbreviate the ridiculous cost there). I am probably going to apply to Princeton as a joke (not expecting to get in, of course) and was also thinking about Trinity maybe (to go bug Kevin Vanhoozer). I am also interested in getting a Masters in Philosophy, and was looking at PSU but couldn't find that program (not that I have the time or the money for that right now...)
If you're staying in the NW, Multnomah is the only viable option, I think. Western and George Fox just aren't theologically interesting at all (Multnomah's at least a little interesting, and there are new profs in OT and Church History now).
The other thing you could try to do is charm your way inside of Mount Angel Abbey Seminary. I don't know if they take protestants, but they have some kick ass classes there.
For all intents and purposes my decision has already been made for Multnomah and Im pretty excited about it. We'll have to do some independent studies together when I finally make it into the Seminary!
I'm also thinking about grad school in the area. Maybe we'll actually end up taking classes together at some point.
My wife and I are in the process of making those decisions right now. If we commit to staying in Portland, that drastically limits the options, but given that there's a baby on the way, staying in one place for a while is becoming more and more desireable. While there are many desireable schools on the east coast, I doubt that we'll make it out there...at least for this leg of the journey.
So, it's a toss up between Western and Multnomah. George Fox is out due to logistics (i.e. cost and distance), but I didn't even really look into the program anyway, so it's not disappointing. Western's exegetical theology program looks interesting (especially since I have no language training at all...except 3 useless years of high school Spanish, of course), though sitting under Metzger would also be a good time, for sure. We'll be praying and listening for the next little while, I think. I'm glad to hear that MBC is a viable option. Thanks for the (indirect) input!
- nick