theo|digital

Haven’t posted all week. Have plenty of posts in the works, but I have eight new books on my shelf (six from library, two more Amazon) to read (at least scan)… and it’s just not happening.

Am definitely feeling a lack of expression… lots of intake (reading/study) and not so much output, esp. creative. I’m not writing. Not speaking. Not making music. Need to make a change soon.

Who said this?

Of course it is our aim to preach Christ and Christ alone, but, when all is said and done, is not the fault of our critics that they find our preaching so hard to understand, so overburdened with ideas and expressions which are hopelessly out of touch with the mental climate in which they live. It is just not true that every word of criticism directed against contemporary preaching is a deliberate rejection of Christ and proceeds from the spirit of Antichrist.
…
Is it not possible that we cling too closely to our own favourite presentation of the gospel, and to a type of preaching which was all very well in its own time and place and for the social set-up for which it was originally intended? Is there not after all an element of truth in the contention that our preaching is too dogmatic, and hopelessly irrelevant to life? (pp35-6)

As much as it could be the well-aimed critique of an emerging church leader (or me) on the American protestant church, it’s not. It’s Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian executed under Hitler in 1945. I was excited to be forced to read his classic The Cost of Discipleship in my NT class, because it’s been on my list for a while. He says so many things worth noting, that I think I’ll create a series of posts just using quotes of his.

This week is “reading week” (or sometimes falsely labeled “Fall Break”), and it simply means that no class lectures are meeting. But studies go boldly on. Today in the computer lab, Ingrid pointed out this is the week we get “less behind” than usual. So true.

What’s seminary life like? Welp, this week it’s like this:

• Read (NT) McKnight Jesus article
• Read (Theo) Tanner article BB
• Read (Theo) Laytham’s chapter
• Read (Symp) Johnston
• Decide (Theo) Book vs Writing assignment
• Read (NT) Strauss 297-343 John
• Read (NT) Blomberg John&Jesus (library?)
• Read (CH) thick description article
• Read (Volf) pp89-120
• Read (CH) Lynch ch8
• Read (CH) Lynch ch7
• Read (NT) Bonhoeffer ch9,10 16/10/2007
• Read (NT) Bonhoeffer ch11,12,13 16/10/2007
• Read (CH) Plowing in Hope intro
• Read (CH) Plowing in Hope Part I
• Read (CH) Plowing in Hope Part II
• Read (CH) Plowing in Hope postscript
• Read (CH) Carter ch1&2
• Read (CH) Carter ch3&4
• Read (CH) Carter ch5&6
• Read (CH) Carter ch7&8
• Read (CH) Carter ch9&10
• Read (CH) Carter ch11
• Read (Theo) Olson ch10 Jesus Christ
• Read (Theo) Weborg Jesus article
• Read (Theo) Frisk 75-88 jesus
• Read (Theo) Gonzales 77-83
• Read (Theo) E. Johnson article “Christ”
• Skim (RschM) HRB part 1
• Skim (RschM) HRB part 2
• Read (RschM) HRB ch7 X-Ray
• Skim (RschM) HRB ch16,18,19
• Read (RschM) HRB skim part4
• Write (RschM) Ex#6 X-Ray book
• Meet Prof (RschM) about paper bibliography
• Write (RschM) 1st draft Bibliography
• Read (RschM) article Women&Ministry
• Research (RschM/CH) 1.5 hours TAL
• Choose (NT) Gospel research text
• Mark-up (NT) synopsis for TXT
• Write (NT) verse-by-verse for TXT

NT – New Testament 1. Theo – Christian Theology 1. RschM – Graduate Research Methods. CH -Cultural Hermeneutics. Names of people – authors. Note helpful active verbs (note also that “skim” is never actually a verb that might come from a professor’s mouth, it is admitting defeat before the battle).

This is the stuff that needs to get done this week.

Some of my music reviews in the October/November edition of Innocent Words, a regional indie music mag. If you’re in Illinois, you may be able to find it in print (Champaign friends: many coffee shops, etc), but elsewhere you might have to checkout the online version.

(ps – I think these links may require you to scroll down a long page to find the reviews – the Innocent Words site doesn’t use anchors or seperate pages for some reason).

Interview/Article with Grammy-Nominated Abra Moore
“The new face of indie: Abra Moore on seatbelts, pop marketing and love by Chris Ridgeway”

Blake Rainey and His Demons
The Dangerous Summer
(Two Sheds Records)
Review…

Teletextile
Care Package
(Self-released)
Review…

Wrinkle Neck Mules
The Wicks Have Met
(Lower 40)
Review…

I’ve had to answer this question an I’ve-lost-count number of times – to both friends and acquaintances alike. I’ve found it tough to answer, because there are many reasons, and some of them aren’t the same people assume. Here’s part 2.

Why am I in [seminary/theology grad school/divinity school]?

2. To learn about the wider Christian thought through history.

As much as I’d like to think that I’m a fountain of original thought regarding living in the new community, it’s rather more likely that someone not only has had “that thought” before me, but has thought it with a bit more class. A great deal more class. And so, if for no other reason than not to look silly, it makes sense for me to take a couple years marinated in the great Christian thinkers and leaders in the 2000 year history of the church.

And while much of the writings of church thinkers would be available for my personal consumption outside of formal schooling, there’s something to having a guide – a professor whose job may be less to give you information than to prioritize it for you.

There’s Ancient… Irenaeus, Clement, Augustine Very Old… Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin Last Century… Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, Paul Tillich… actually… I’m starting to list names I’ve heard and thought about just in the last eight weeks… and this list could go on for a long time. Perhaps a hall of church history would help. Our maybe a tour through the table of contents of Jose Gonzales; History of Christian Thought v1, v2, and v3.

Absorbing the past is particularly relevant to emerging church thought. Brian McLaren’s last two books – The Secret Message of Jesus and Everything Must Change – may be good (I dunno yet – haven’t got the chance to read them yet). But the titles both imply an idea that somewhere inside lies the undiscovered key to a new Christianity that we haven’t thought of yet.

The chances of that seem slim.

(Not that I don’t think the American church some major overhaul work (perhaps as much paradigm shift as was required during the Protestant Reformation). But that’ll have to fit in as my next reason for being in [seminary]).

Spent most of the day (leave apartment at: 6:30am) chasing around running people at the Chicago Marathon. I was there to see my good friend Nick run (along with Ben, Heather, and Nick’s mom & step-dad). This being my 2nd time watching, I realized in advance that marathon-watching isn’t the best specatator sport if you’re watching for one person (white shirt, white shirt, white shirt… THERE HE IS… nope, it’s a napkin. There he is.. Nick!! Nick!! Welp, he’s gone…). But just running around the city on the L with 1.5 million spectators is sorta cool.

Well, not exactly cool. In fact, the heat was so record-breaking today that after 4 hours, the medical director canceled the rest of the race. Of about 45,000 registered runners, only 25,000 even made it. Nick did, but he was forced to walk by bullhorn-wielding policeman for much of the last seven miles of the course.

I’ve uploaded my quick collection of pictures (which include none of Nick running – sad).

My roommate Mark shot it a few days ago (click to give a closer look). Talks, doesn’t it?

ps – my seminary note: for the the first time since I started classes, I might be willing to admit I’m overwhelmed. Over 300 pages behind in reading, I’ve already started asking for extensions, and I’ve got paper due in 24 hours that I haven’t read for, much less begun writing. It’s tough, because I love the material. But I’m buried in it. Phew. To bed for now. Just had to put up Mark’s photo when he showed me.

(or, why I’m sad about democracy in America)

JR Woodward recently mentioned a study by Pew Research on current news awareness, so I headed over to take the quiz and compare my news knowledge to their formal study. My results:

Here’s Your Score: You correctly answered 12 of the 12 possible questions along with approximately 6% of the public. You did better than 94% of the general public.

Use the interactive tool below to find out more about how your score compares with other Americans who took the test in our national telephone survey:




I know you won’t believe me, but I’m not trying to say I’m great – I’m trying to say that it’s sad that people stay so uninformed. This quiz wasn’t hard – it included questions like who the president of Russia is, and what Latino candidate is running for president.

sigh.