What Are You Reading? Part II

The “What Are You Reading?” summer series continues this week with a list of books from Garrett-Evangelical President Philip Amerson and Dr. Osvaldo Vena, Professor of New Testament Interpretation.

President Philip Amerson’s List:
•    Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
•    Allah: A Christian Response by Miraslov Volf
•    The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee
•    Fables and Distances: New and Selected Essays by John A. Haines
•    The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson
•    The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America by Jonathan Kozol
•    Song Yet Sung by James McBride

Dr. Osvaldo Vena’s List:
•    Democratizing Biblical Studies. Toward an Emancipatory Educational Space by Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza (WJK, 2009).
This book proposes a new paradigm for biblical study, one which is less competitive and which allows for a variety of voices to be equally heard in a democratic dialogue. It tries to subvert the idea that the study of the bible is the domain of either the church or the academy and places it in the public domain.
•    Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor by Leonard Boff, a Brazilian theologian.
It is a book on ecological theology that applies the principles of liberation theology to answering the questions of poverty and ecological degradation.
•    In order to keep up with my Latin American heritage I am reading also the complete works of Jorge Luis Borges.

Seminary, A Creative Writer’s Nightmare?

Becky Wilson

Looking back on the Spring 2011 semester, my first as a full time M.Div. student at Garrett-Evangelical, many things stand out. Although writing about my experiences during the snow storm of the century that occurred in late January is tempting, I want to tell you about my classes.

Enrolled in both Introduction to Old Testament and Introduction to New Testament, along with Spiritual Direction and Companionship, I knew that I had my work cut out for me.  My biggest fear about the work load was not the work load itself, but rather that in keeping up with the assigned readings and reflections and in exegetical researching and writing that I would have no time or desire to write creatively.

I began writing poetry, stories and essays as a child. At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, words are my passion and being able to express myself on paper is as essential to me as breathing. As I first looked over course syllabi, I saw the assignment listings as a sign that my fear of seminary was coming true; that academics had overtaken creativity.

What happened over the course of the next few months was shocking and amazing. All of my fears were unfounded. Academics did not squash creativity, but rather enhanced it. Coursework was both challenging and inspiring. What I discovered during this semester is that Garrett-Evangelical is not only committed to creating bold leaders for the world, but that they are committed to doing so creatively as well. In all three of my courses, there was opportunity for creative expression and thought.

My Old Testament professor often incorporated movie clips into class lectures and discussions. On one occasion, students were given the opportunity to write a psalm based on the death of one of the movie’s characters. My New Testament professor offered students extra credit for creative expressions of material covered in class. In my Spiritual Direction and Companionship course, the final project had an optional component consisting of reading a novel and then creating a piece of art or a poem that captured one’s reaction. At the time that I read the novel, a friend of mine was in the final stages of a courageous battle with lung cancer. As the novel’s main character reminded me of my friend, I was able to write a poem about our miraculous friendship and get credit for it. Surely, this was a writer’s dream.

The classroom is not the only place where creativity is valued at Garrett-Evangelical. In March of this year, as the Chapel celebrated Woman’s History, I was honored to read an original poem during one of the week’s services. The lectionary text for the week was John 4:5-42, the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well. This poem was originally written several years ago, but was reshaped and reworked for not only the service, but for my New Testament extra credit assignment as well.

Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, a creative writer’s dream come true.

you see for me

there was a time when the world was only dark
no matter the color of the glasses I wore

I could not see the light that others swore to me existed
after years of shame and pain it all became unbearable
living with open eyes
and so I chose deliberately to close them 

and just as I wished I did not see a thing

not hunger, not hatred
not homelessness, not heartache
no injustice, no prejudice, no war

then one day unexpected yet right on time she came 

speaking hope proclaiming something more

just because it’s easy doesn’t mean that it’s right
your eyes closed to darkness are also closed to light
bathe in this fountain, drink from this well, and then tell me what you see

despite the fear that filled me
I did and then I said

where there is hunger I see the multitudes all being fed
where there is hatred I see lovers, champions for women & children & men
where there is heartache I see joy-filled faces
rivers of justice are flowing 
equality vibrant and growing
I see peace inside all people
peace within all places

I wonder
 will you too bathe in this fountain, drink from this well
will you go and tell the world what God can do
will you embrace the life-giving light
will you pray to see fully everyday?

---

Becky Wilson is from Detroit, Michigan and is a second year MDiv student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

What Are You Reading? Part I

This year, Garrett-Evangelical is asking entering and current students to read two books before the beginning of the fall semester: How to Think Theologically and Cutting for Stone. So, as our students dive into these books, we decided to check in with our staff and faculty members and ask, “What are you reading?”

 

Over the next few weeks, we will be featuring some of the responses from our beloved faculty and staff members. This week, Dr. David Hogue, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling at Garrett-Evangelical, shares his reading list which includes books for work and fun:

American Grace:  How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Robert Putnam and David Campbell

An extended discussion of two large sociological studies that explore how religion has participated in the increasing political polarization in the U.S., how devotion has remained high despite declining denominational commitments, and how the move toward tolerance of diversity may ultimately save us.

Fingerprints of God: A Search for the Science of Spirituality by Barbara Bradley Hagerty 

Raised in a Christian Science family, this NPR correspondent reviews significant neurobiological science in an attempt to understand more fully her own spiritual experiences and how faith contributes to health.  Though most of the science she describes is available from other sources, this volume introduces a popular audience to contemporary thought about the biological processes that may be involved.

The Social Animal:  The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement by David Brooks 

Prolific author David Brooks has summarized important trends in contemporary biological sources for our most intimate relationships and accomplishments in an accessible format.

Out of Our Heads:  Why You Are Not Your Brain and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness by Alva Noe

As a philosopher and cognitive scientist, Noe challenges the current trend in neuroscience toward explaining consciousness only from inside the brain.  While many will disagree with him, as Daniel Dennett says, those of us who do "have our work cut out for us."

The Accidental Mind:  How Brain Evolution Has Given Us Love, Memory, Dreams, and God by David Linden.

A witty, engaging overview of contemporary thought by David Linden, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins.

In the Garden of Beats:  Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larsen

Written by the author of Devil in the White City, this fascinating history tells the story of former University of Chicago history professor William Dodd's appointment by FDR as the first U.S. Ambassador to Hitler's Germany.  Provides important insight into the ways human beings avoid acknowledging the unfolding evil before them, and what happens when it becomes clear.

The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tail of an American Adventurer And His Mysterious Disappearance by David Herlihy

A fascinating history of Frank Lenz's ill-fated attempt at a solo, around-the-world bicycle trip in the 1880s.

The Poisoner's Handbook:  Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum 

The title says it all.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

Offers a new angle on the artist's quandaries, conflicts, and achievements in painting the Sistine Chapel.