life

As is so often the case with at least me, when my journal is quiet – life isn’t. In addition to observing the 36^th anniversary of my birth, I had a pretty full teaching week; 20 hours in the classroom.

Mars Hill Graduate School is a unique school; I so wish that there had been a seminary like this when I went to grad school. The “church” class met for the first time last week; as it happened Stan Grenz and I were simultaneously covering the church in “Thinking Theologically 2”; so there was great overlap between those two classes. And the overlap continued; in my “Selected Readings” class we are in the middle of Volf’s Exclusion & Embrace, which is a theological look at otherness, which had significant overlap with “Essential Community.” The class is an experiential challenge to common Christian concepts of otherness. The “Essential Community” class has been a personal highlight for me, it is the first time I’ve worked so collaboratively with others in the creation of a class; to say that Roy Barsness and Christie Lynk have been a joy to work with would sell them short.

In nine days I orally defend my dissertation. I am both excited and fearful. Exactly half of the cohort of doctoral candidates who began together is scheduled to defend. We had all hoped would all make it to this point together, but life happens. One of the other candidates asked the administration about obtaining our regalia for the conferring ceremony and in response we all received an email stressing the importance of waiting to purchase robes until after the oral defense. And the rational for waiting was that the school does not anticipate we will all pass. Ouch that hurt.

I just thought I’ve offer a bit of an update. I trust you are well, and thanks for stopping by.

Peace, dwight