Thanks for the kind thoughts expressed during the period of "essay adjustment". I've now passed this, but heard today I had failed a Belief and Thought exam.
Does this mean I believe without any thoughts? (i.e. like a pre-programmed android)
Does this mean I have no beliefs but lots of thoughts? (like I waft around like the breeze)
Hmmm.Have been checking out distance learning courses in theology today (LST, Oxford Brookes and University of Lampeter, would you believe) which would probably suit my work/life balance better.
I'm remembering though that I have covered six First Year topics in two months as a children's worker with a big club to run and workshops and teams to train in August and September so I am not too hard on myself. Two good friends explained that a question on the eschatology of "new creation" would be hard to do.
When I was at University I remember clearly failing my first (and only!) (til now) exam in Social Anthropology. It was good for me to realise that I couldn't do everything - up till that point everything had been a breeze - Highers, First and Second Year of uni - and I got a fright and serious pride issues came to the fore. Sometimes you can't walk in and regurgitate notes held in a good brain - there needs to be evidence of deep thought, understanding and appropriate use of terminology, underpinned by a well structured answer.
I have spent 4 years as a Marker for Higher Geography and it's really weird to be on the other side of the fence :)
Will deep theological knowledge make me a better pastor to children? Ooooh I can't wait to hear what you think - bring it on Wood Street Girl, Brodie, Stuart, Hippocritic, TalkRhubarb, Johnny, and Nick!
Over to you........!
can you define "better" for me?
ReplyDelete"more effective" in achieving the sovereign purposes of God ;-P
ReplyDeleteNow there's a good theology exam question! I think you could also rephrase "more effective in achieving the sovereigb purposes of God" as, "In what ways might Christians claim that 'new creation' is the eschatological goal of all that God has created?"
ReplyDeleteoh, was that your head I just heard explode?
I think my head has just exploded!
ReplyDeleteAre you enjoying your course - I hope that some of it is 'fun'?
ReplyDeleteYou could of course have no beliefs and no thoughts but from your blog it looks to me like you've got lots of beliefs and lots of thoughts and are more than able to do theology.
I love the whole theological thinking stuff.
I am not sure that 'deep theological knowledge' will make you a better anything but the ability to think theologically I think enriches any ministry. I guess I think that there is always theology about - we all do it - the question is not whether we do it but whether it is good or bad theolgy that we do. Studies should help us get a handle on sorting out the good from the bad. There was a period in my life when in the morning I could be doing a primary school assembly with a puppet on my hand and in the afternoon teaching the doctrine of the Trinity to BD students - I never found that these actions clashed but informed one another - bit of a disater though the day I got mixed up and tried to teach the doctrine of the Trinity with a puppet on my hand!!!!
Actually that could be quite interesting - one puppet, three persons!!
ReplyDelete:::::::::off to ponder that one some more :::::::::