Associations

[athanasios]

Here are some associations I'm interested in joining (in this order):

Society of Biblical Liturature: The Society of Biblical Literature is the oldest and largest international scholarly membership organization in the field of biblical studies. Founded in 1880, the Society has grown to over 8,500 international members including teachers, students

Comments

[mylifemyfaith]

I'm not sure we have any of those at MTSO! We tend to focus our extracurricular activities onto more down-to-earth things.

For the most part we're preparing for careers in parish ministry not the academy!

[logodaedaly]

It really shouldn't be an either/or thing. Parish pastors can benefit greatly from academic theology, and academics can benefit from a concern for the real world and how pastoral theology relates to more academic disciplines in theology.

As far as process goes, we house-sat for one of the foremost scholars of process phenomenology in the world one summer. She's an interesting person. The pastor of the UCC church I attended in Carbondale was really into process, Marjorie Suchocki and all that. I find it too weird, but a lot of folks in the church really got a lot out of it. It's fairly out of vogue these days, but as someone who is interested in American pragmatism, I can say definitively that being out of vogue doesn't make something unworthy to pursue!

[athanasios]

It really shouldn't be an either/or thing.

I agree 100%. Couldn't have said (wrote) it better.

I like process theology but I also like the existential theology of Paul Tillich -- which is not completely incompatible with process theology. I'll use seminary to explore my options for a PhD program. I have several years to consider what I want to focus on and I'll enjoy the "process."

[athanasios]

I don't suspect there is much local representation of either of these at MTSO, but that could very well change with me becoming a student there. I want to do congregational work and further academic studies -- thus being in the M.Div & M.T.S. program (and I will do a thesis option).

I've been doing ministry for years already. I like it but I also love knowledge and learning.