What Have They Been Studying
Last night before class started I walked with one of my classmates to Carl's Jr. for some dinner. He was telling me about his trip up to APU's main campuss in Azusa. When he was there he walked up to the theology department and looked in on all his professors' offices just to get a feel for their personalities, by looking in on the books on their bookshelf and the decorations in their windows. He noticed that many of the Theology professors had Obama stickers in their windows and many of the Biblical Studies profs had McCain stickers. I reflected with him on the irony there, the irony how different the Biblical Studies profs are than the Theology profs. I always did notice that Theology Professors at APU, with a few exceptions, have a much different perspective on life than those in the Biblical Studies department.
I have never had a problem with this contrast. To me it just shows that people can come to different conclusions through the same means. People can share the same convictions and still arrive at different opinions on how to accomplish things. It's quite a freeing revelation to me but my classmate would not agree.
He went on, "I am not going to do theology in my doctoral work."
"Why not?" I responded, worried that he would say just what I didn't want to hear.
"Because..." he said, "if someone could study theology for their whole life and come out as a democrat I wonder what they're studying." Pretty much what I did not want to hear.
Education, for me, has opened my mind to the variety of different views and has given me an appreciation for the merit in a variety of different views. How could someone who is almost finished with a Master's degree in theology, a degree in higher education, have such a low view of a perspective which actually, if examined, has been reached through a long process of research and exploration? How could someone see things so "black & white" anymore? How could someone who studies theology, someone who is far ahead of me in this program, still think that to be a Christian you have to be a Republican? What has he been studying? Is this program worth my time?
I have never had a problem with this contrast. To me it just shows that people can come to different conclusions through the same means. People can share the same convictions and still arrive at different opinions on how to accomplish things. It's quite a freeing revelation to me but my classmate would not agree.
He went on, "I am not going to do theology in my doctoral work."
"Why not?" I responded, worried that he would say just what I didn't want to hear.
"Because..." he said, "if someone could study theology for their whole life and come out as a democrat I wonder what they're studying." Pretty much what I did not want to hear.
Education, for me, has opened my mind to the variety of different views and has given me an appreciation for the merit in a variety of different views. How could someone who is almost finished with a Master's degree in theology, a degree in higher education, have such a low view of a perspective which actually, if examined, has been reached through a long process of research and exploration? How could someone see things so "black & white" anymore? How could someone who studies theology, someone who is far ahead of me in this program, still think that to be a Christian you have to be a Republican? What has he been studying? Is this program worth my time?
Comments
Good post. I am with you in that I love learning about different people's views. I think it gives great insight into what humanity has in common, which is oftentimes more than what people may think. I also have come to appreciate the merit of other people's views, beliefs, and cultures, etc. For whatever reason, it seems like it is difficult for certain people to reconcile their own beliefs (usually the religious beliefs) with the changing world. However, I feel that being educated on how other people think, feel, etc. can make one a better person because they are more understanding. It is also helpful because it allows one to better understand their own personal beliefs.
Good questions and insight, difficult to answer though, huh? haha