The March for Life, 2017 The Washington Post finally reported on the pro-life event this year. Compare and contrast is one of my favorite teaching methods. Teaching the biblical basis for government I have had students read The American Declaration of Independence (1776) and The French Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789). I … Read more
“Humor plays close to the white hot fire of truth.” E. B. White “Our laughter contains the hope of redemption.” F.H. Buckley, The Morality of Laughter Laughter. We began each class hour the same way. When I was teaching in high school I would show the latest “Darwin Awards,” weekly “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoon strips, … Read more
The discussion was anything but typical. Cytotechnology. Forensic linguistics. Finite math. I had to ask her if she would type out cytotechnology to me on my cell phone. I had not heard of it before even though I had seen its affects in medical research. “Does your professor ever talk about origins, where things come … Read more
“I feel the pressure all the time.” Comenius students and I sat around the table talking. Our topics of conversation ranged from “internalized misogyny” to Haitian views of American racism to the vocation of being a student. One of the talking points revolved around a New York Times article about why sports fans may continue … Read more
Imagine there’s no freedom. It’s easy if you try. On the American university campus, you don’t have to imagine. I was teaching a class on Theological Interpretation of Media this past week. On Saturday morning (4 March 2017) I began by reading the full description of an attack on freedom of speech. The Vermont newspaper … Read more
“It happens all the time.” We were discussing social media communication. My young friend and I were discussing what he sees and hears on the college campus. “Relationships are based on convenience,” he began. “Students surround themselves with people who think like they think.” My face frowned, “Isn’t that exactly the opposite of what should … Read more
“No. No. No. No.” Every question I asked received the same response. She had been studying psychology, specifically, the theories of personality. “In your class was the idea of ‘person’ linked with ‘personality’?” I asked. “No,” she responded. “Did your professor discuss the origin of human personage?” I asked. “No,” she responded. “Were there any … Read more
Paul’s letters to churches were “distance learning.” Biblical Basis for Seminary Traditionally, a seminary has been a place of study to train clergy, religious personnel, chaplains, or lay leaders. The word “seminary” comes from a Latin root meaning to plant a nursery, sow a seed bed, launch a breeding ground, or begin a process. The … Read more
The Marks of a Christian Teacher: A Vocational Description [1] The true function of the teacher is to create the most favorable conditions for self-learning. True teaching is not that which gives knowledge, but that which stimulates pupils to gain it. One might say that he teaches best who teaches least.[2] “I do not want you to … Read more
Marks of a Christian Scholar: A Vocational Description [1] “The Christian scholar-teacher must be a person who believes in Christian higher education, who is committed to the mission of his or her institution. It is not enough to hire faculty who happen to be Christians, even if they are fine scholars. We must find and … Read more