One of the classes I’m taking this quarter is “The Congregation as Learning Community” where we discuss issues related to education in Christian congregations (as you might expect). In this past week, our primary assignment was to present on a book in small groups. Each group was given not only a book (ours was Practicing Our Faith edited by Dorothy C. Bass), but also a learning method to drive our presentation (ours was “intrapersonal”). This presented a challenge: how does one “present” anything conducive to intrapersonal learning. Should we integrate intrapersonal reflection within the classroom setting itself?

Fortunately, my partner and I had a topic that worked well here. The idea of Bass’ book is that we need to “practice our faith” in tangible ways in everyday activities. So, we started our 20 minute presentation with a meditation exercise where people found another place in the room (”body” learning) to pray and reflect on the calm images of nature that we were projecting on the screen (”visual” learning). After a couple minutes, we asked them to slowly and quietly return to their seats (”body” again).

Then we asked them to consider the shift in imagery when we showed them video of busy images taken from the streets of Tokyo (”visual” again). The point was: this book helps us to unite our intrapersonal reflections and experiences with our interpersonal practices and activities. I think the reflection time in that moment was appropriate and, as parenthetically mentioned, was appropriately combined with other learning methods (body and visual).

The issue for me is the fact that “intrapersonal” reflection is directly related to the topic here. My question is how easily one might allow for intrapersonal moments within other class settings. This course is intended for congregational learning, where times of prayer and meditation may be more appropriate than a college classroom. I’m not sure I will use similar techniques when I teach Christian origins.

The exercise is nevertheless a reminder that educators should move beyond the old standard lecture style and consider new ways of reaching multiple learning modes within a single classroom session. How do we impart information while also promoting critical engagement with the course materials?

If I needed any confirmation that New Testament and Christian origins are “my thing,” here it is. My current quarter contains no such classes and I’m feeling the energy drain. I feel like the extrovert without her crowd or the introvert without his quiet place. A few other factors may be playing a role. For example, I’m at the end of a three year program with the knowledge that a new program will be starting in the fall. Perhaps I have a little bit of senioritis. The remaining few months of my Fuller Seminary degree are at risk of being a “lame duck” moment.

And yet, out of mist of my final seminary moments rises a great opportunity. My future adviser, Scott Bartchy, has invited me to come to a lecture of and a dinner with the legendary New Testament scholar, Robert Jewett (here is his vita). Dr. Jewett is visiting UCLA to give a lecture in Bartchy’s Paul seminar, after which Bartchy, Jewett, the four others in my program and I will be sharing dinner. Jewett most recently published his massive commentary on Romans for the Hermeneia series, but he’s also authored some other interesting books, including Captain America and the Crusade against Evil:The Dilemma Of Zealous Nationalism (with John Shelton Lawrence, a frequent writing partner) and the Saint Paul at the Movies series. I’m always hooked with a New Testament scholar talks about “civil religion.” They know what makes this Anabaptist heart beat faster.

With this opportunity, I have had a boost back into more exciting studies for me. It also comes as a realization that, yes, I’m on the right path. If New Testament and Christian origins gets me revved up, then I should probably stick to it!

Good news! Just got this email from AAR. Hot off the press:

April 14, 2008

Dear Fellow Members of the American Academy of Religion:

I write today to alert you to an action taken by your Board of Directors at its meeting this past weekend.

In light of the scheduling and logistical problems connected with the proposed Independent Annual Meetings, and given the views our members expressed in our recent member survey, the Board, in its April 12, 2008 meeting, approved a recommendation that the AAR begin scheduling concurrent, yet independent Annual Meetings with the Society of Biblical Literature as soon as is feasible. Assuming that the SBL is agreeable to meeting concurrently, it is our intention that such meetings would feature:

1. A return to the traditional meeting time, on the weekend before the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday;
2. An AAR Program (and Program Book) that is entirely separate from the SBL’s;
3. If desirable, a single, jointly sponsored Book Exhibit and a single, jointly sponsored employment interview center;
4. The invitation to and inclusion of other scholarly groups that may wish to meet concurrently with the AAR;
5. An arrangement whereby AAR members could participate freely in sessions and programs of the SBL (and other scholarly organizations with which the AAR has entered into concurrent meeting arrangements), and vice versa, with no additional registration fees; and
6. Consultation with the Finance Committee, prior to entering into jointly sponsored ventures with the SBL, to ensure that the AAR’s financial interests are protected.

The Board concluded that such a plan:

1. Supports the views of the majority of our members;
2. Represents a genuine compromise among the views of our members on this contentious subject;
3. Fosters many of the goals sought in Independent Annual Meetings;
4. Allows departments, schools, universities, and other societies to use concurrent meetings for breakfasts, receptions, and other special events aimed at both AAR and SBL members; and
5. Promotes the continuing health of our organization.

The text of this announcement is available on the AAR website.

I will share additional developments about concurrent meetings with you as they are available. Until then, thank you for your participation in the work of our Academy.

Sincerely yours

Jack Fitzmier
Executive Director

Sounds like a good compromise to me. It’s probably good for the organizations to keep their separate identity, but this solves so many practical problems that we were facing. I hope that SBL finds the proposal agreeable.

This is just an update that Obama accepted the invitation to the Compassion Forum that will be held at Messiah College on April 13th. See my earlier post about Clinton’s announcement to attend.

This is just for fun. Here are some Hesston students putting in their own lyrics to a popular song:

First rap song I’ve ever heard to use the term heilsgeschichte!

A friend of mine asked this question:

Pat, do you know of any biblioblogs that deal particularly with…

1) teaching biblical studies in general
2) using tech in biblical studies ed (e.g. class wikis, PPT, Blackboard, etc.)

?

So, I put the question to you all. What do you think? My friend is especially interesting in Hebrew Bible and ANE stuff, I think. But it sounds like he’s open to broader topics in biblical studies too.

Doing a quick search of biblioblogs (or biblicablogs, if you prefer) on the words “pedagogy,” “education,” “teaching” and the like (especially combined with “tech” or “technology” or one of the specifics he mentioned), as well as leaning on my gut, here are some possibilities coming to mind (in no particular order):

• Tim Bulkeley’s SansBlogue
• Chris Heard’s Higgaion
• John Hobbins’ Ancient Hebrew Poetry
• Mark Goodacre’s NT Gateway
• A. K. M. Adam’s AKMA’s Random Thoughts
• The now-defunct Bible Software Review blog would’ve been an option
• There are some of these topics also dispersed at Awilum, PaleoJudaica, Hypotyposeis, Blue Cord, etc. They are topics that hit close to home for bibliobloggers, so one would expect a lot of talk about them. But I think the ones I listed above probably touch on my friend’s questions the most.
• I would suggest doing a search of biblioblogs for these topics with the customized biblioblog search (also, this one).

Any corrections or additions?

I mentioned the Compassion Forum the other day, when we knew the invitations were being considered, but Hillary Clinton has made it explicit: she’s going to participate in the forum at my alma mater (HT: Beliefnet [the article is kind of a watered down version of the press release]). I don’t think this will be proving which candidate is “Christian enough” as one commenter at Beliefnet suggests, since the Forum will be focused on issues of broader concern (e.g., domestic and international poverty, global AIDS, climate change, abortion, genocide in Darfur, and human rights and torture). Note that the board includes folks like Jim Wallis, Gary Haugen, Richard Cizik, and David Beckmann.

The spin is that these questions are being asked from a faith perspective. I think it does more for challenging people of faith to think about important social issues than it ranks the candidates on their “Christianness.” What Jim Wallis says is that politicians are “wind chasers.” They stick their finger up in the air and see which way the wind is blowing. Wallis says that Christians (and I think all concerned citizens, no matter religion) need to change the direction of the wind–like MLK, Jr. I hope that this Forum is one more step to raise public awareness that the faith-based voters are not only looking for the best Christian (although some unfortunately are) but they are more interested in making real change with difficult social concerns.

I’m envious of the students on campus right now because of the amazing learning opportunity this provides them.

For the record, I’m still a little dumbfounded that presidential candidates are going to an Anabaptist school!

Nick had a good idea for a list, so I’m going to offer my list of scholars (dead* & alive) that I wish had blogs:

1. Scott Bartchy [of course]
2. John Howard Yoder*
3. Dynamic Dual Blog: Adela Yarbro Collins & John J. Collins
4. Thomas Yoder Neufeld [I just had lunch with him today, so I might be biased, but I love how he approaches New Testament studies from a balanced Anabaptist perspective!]
5. Carolyn Osiek
6. Richard B. Hays
7. Willard M. Swartley
8. Albert Schweitzer*
9. Amy-Jill Levine
10. Markus Bockmuehl

Okay, so I’m kind of cheating with two scholars on number three. But the list started much longer, so at least I got it down to 11. I was thinking about scholars that aren’t just my favorites and write about topics I’m interested in (though, that is a factor obviously), but also who I think would write very readable/relatable/entertaining blogs. Bart Ehrman, Tom Wright, Luke Timothy Johnson, and Bultmann were very close! In the end, none on the list are the same as Nick’s, but some were almost there.

I can’t tell if it’s an exposé of Jim West or Andrew Keen, but it’s a very interesting post nonetheless.

Update (Same Day): The trouble continues. You can find Jim West’s announcement of Chris Heard’s Biblical Studies list removal here (if you’re on the list).

Signe Wilkinson / Philadelphia Daily News

HT: LA Times