Saturday, August 28, 2010

warning: academics ahead

So, classes start Monday. My blog will most likely reflect this (fantastic, long awaited) change in a few different ways. I just wanted to take a moment to give you all fair warning.

First of all, I’d like to point out my little bookshelf on the right side of this page. The books on my shelf are my textbooks for this semester, and it’s likely that I will be referencing them and/or quoting them in my blogs this semester.

Next, several of my classes require me to write journal entries and submit them online. Obviously, some of this will be more interesting than others. But there is a good possibility that I will post some of my journal entries on here.

In classes that don’t have journals as a requirement, and possibly even for those that do, I plan to use this blog to share quotes and reflect on the things I am learning in class…and outside of class, for that matter. And on that note, here comes the first textbook quote:

“The ultimate goal of biblical exegesis is not information but transformation. True exegesis is accomplished only when individuals and communities engage in the embodiment of the text.”
-Michael Gorman, Elements of Biblical Exegesis

See, this idea of “information” versus “transformation” really resonates with me, in my context as a student here at Bluffton. I came from a university with a strong focus on information. When I transferred to Bluffton, my whole life started changing…and it hasn’t stopped. At Bluffton, who we are becoming matters far more than where we are going. Character is valued over success. Education is about transforming, not just informing. That makes more difference than I can express in words.

But obviously, this quote is about more than the unique, world-class education offered at Bluffton University. It’s about biblical exegesis! One of my classes this semester is Old Testament Exegetical Studies: Wisdom Literature. So, I get to dive into exegesis this semester! I can’t wait to spend huge amounts of time engaging scripture in this incredible community. You will no doubt hear a LOT about this over the next 15 weeks.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store for this semester. I can’t wait to see what God is going to teach me both inside and outside the classroom, through professors and friends, through books and late night conversations. Education by transformation blurs the lines between education and life. I can’t tell you where my classes end and my life begins…where homework ends and discipleship begins…

And that’s a beautiful thing.

nature preserve

Pray Peace. Make Peace. Live Peace.

Katie :)

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