How to write a good essay

Here are a few of the key ingredients for an effective essay for a college/university class.
Unfortunately, many student essays miss one or more of these ingredients.

• Have a single main point/idea/opinion. Clear state what it is. Your goal is to convince the reader that you are right; or at least, that your opinion is worth considering.
• Provide an argument and evidence to support your main point.
• What do scholars say about your opinion? Do they agree or disagree? Why?
• Show that you have read widely in researching your essay, with a focus on the most influential academic authors (not bad internet sites). This should be demonstrated by quoting these authors and citing them in your bibliography.
• Don't plagiarise. Never copy text of other authors, without referencing them. Use your own words.
• Polish your essay. Writing is hard work. Edit. Rewrite. Spell check. Get someone else to read it and give feedback. Proofread.

For much more detailed discussions see

Writing in College from Joseph Williams and Lawrence McEnerney at the University of Chicago

10 steps to writing an essay is from Tom Johnson at the American University in Cairo.

An article I wish my Presbyterian friends would read

We can learn a lot from history, especially other peoples mistakes!

John Frame has impeccable credentials in Reformed Orthodox Conservative circles. In 2003 he wrote a fascinating article Machen's Warrior Children. Here is the abstract:

From 1923 to the present, the movement begun by J. Gresham Machen and Westminster Theological Seminary has supplied the theological leadership for the conservative evangelical Reformed Christians in the United States. Under that leadership, conservative Calvinists made a strong stand against liberal theology. But having lost that theological battle in the Presbyterian Church, U. S. A., they turned inward to battle among themselves about issues less important—in some cases, far less important—than liberalism. This essay describes 21 of these issues, with some subdivisions, and offers some brief analysis and evaluations. It concludes by raising some questions for the Reformed community to consider: 

Was it right to devote so much of the church’s time and effort to these theological battles? 

Did the disputants follow biblical standards for resolution of these issues? 

Was the quality of thought in these polemics worthy of the Reformed tradition of scholarship? 

Should the Reformed community be willing to become more inclusive, to tolerate greater theological differences than many of the polemicists have wanted?

Unfortunately, it is not clear these warnings have been taken to heart as recent cases involving Peter Enns and Bruce Waltke suggest. History repeats itself.

Moving the Science-Theology dialogue South

I have been asked to write a Guest Editorial for a forthcoming issue of the journal Science and Christian Belief. This is an honour.
I have chosen to explore the issue of Science and Theology in non-Western contexts. I do not consider myself particularly qualified (or entitled?) to write on the issue but I hope it is reasonable and constructive for me to raise the issue and stimulate discussion.
I welcome comments on a draft.

Time management for academic clowns

I was asked to give a talk with the title, "Managing your time in the academic circus" at the conference on the Academy and the Church. At first I thought the title strange, but eventually I ran with the circus metaphor. Here are my notes.

Rethinking authority, reality, and ethics.

Jonathan Burnside gave the opening address last night at the conference on the Academy and the Church. Here are a few of my rough notes on the talk, "The ethical authority of the Biblical social vision". Overall, I was challenged to rethink my ideas about the nature of authority and its relation to reality and ethics.

Due to the rise of Islam and secularism some Western Christians have developed a defensive "in the trenches" position with regard to their role in society. Instead, Christians should desire the common good, not just the self-interest and protection of their own rights.

1. What do we mean by the Biblical social vision?

It should be shaped by whole Bible. (2 Timothy 3:16). The Old Testament and New Testament have different ethical authority. Be aware of continuities and discontinuities. Neglecting this can lead to the God hates shrimp problem.

This is a vision that takes the Bible - and how it is written - seriously. In the West we think in abstract terms and so tend to translate the Bible into abstract systems of thought.
Consider the form of Bible - ancient literature - which embodies the Living Word.

2. Why does the Biblical social vision have ethical authority over us? 

Authority is a dimension of reality. (cf. Oliver O'Donovan, Resurrection and Moral Order). Authority in the Bible means a freedom to act within boundaries.
Existence of God is a reality which calls for an ethical response.
Humility, worship, and obedience. (cf. Deut 6:4,5  The LORD is one)
The reality of the nature of God.
The reality of human identity and human flourishing.
The reality of Jesus resurrection. (Compare this to the weighty ethical authority of the Exodus).
The Resurrection reflects God's commitment to restore the creation.
The reality of the mission of the people of God.  

3. How does Biblical social vision exercise ethical authority?

We need to be willing to change our culturally conditioned view about what authority is.  The Biblical vision has authority because it is spreading reality. Authority does not mean exercising control. God's authority is exercised in a relational way. (cf. God's act of creation). God the Father sends the Son and the Holy Spirit in power gives life.
Enables creation to be the best possible.
God's authority is exercised through human beings. [Our job is to be].
Look at parables to get a picture of what it is like when God is in charge.
The Word became flesh (not an abstract concept).

Christians are called to live the story of God to the world. Jesus exercised authority from a place of humility. In Isaiah 42 there is no yelling or shouting in the streets.
Moreso us, since we are not Jesus! We have a tendency to abuse authority.

Dealing with postmodernism. We are to be there for postmodernists when they discover the limits of their postmodern view [because they eventually suffer from ignoring the way the world is, e.g. parents and children suffer when all values and opinions are considered equally valid].

Seek justice

Next week I am looking forward to being at a conference on the Church and the Academy. One of the plenary speakers Jonathan Burnside has a cool website which discusses a range of issues concerning God, Justice, and Society.

Conference on the Academy and the Church

I am looking forward to the Third Annual Australasian Christian Conference for the Academy and the Church to be held at the end of June at the University of Queensland. The last two conferences have been great and hopefully this one will be even better!

The two plenary speakers will be Professor Walter Moberly (Durham) and Dr. Jonathan Burnside (Bristol).
I downloaded and read the first chapter of Moberly's The Theology of the Book of Genesis. It will be great to hear from him. Previously I posted about Burnside's new book God, Justice, and Society.

You can submit your abstracts online now.

How does cultural context shape theological education?

Theological education in the west occurs in a context of affluence and irreligion. In contrast in the two-thirds world theological education occurs in a context of poverty and religion. What difference should this make? Any ideas?

A model Christian academic

This morning I read this fascinating obituary from the Times of Professor Donald Wiseman (1918-2010). I read it because one of his students, David Baker (Ashland Seminary) is coming to Brisbane to teach an MA subject on the Joseph Narrative at Queensland Theological College.

Blogging as theological discourse

Ben Myers writes a widely read blog, Faith and Theology. Last year he gave a nice talk about blogging and theology at the AACC. The paper he developed out of that is now available.

The how and why of publishing

This week at the conference on the Academy and the Church there will be a special workhop on "Getting published". I will be speaking on "The how and why of publishing in peer-reviewed journals". The audience will mostly be faculty and postgraduate students from theological colleges. I welcome any feedback on my draft slides.

Marks of a true scholar

Partly because my daughter just started an Arts degree at university I started reading Five Minds for the Future, by Howard Gardner. [The book was recommended to me by a friend, Keith Birchley]. Gardner is a Professor of Education and Psychology at Harvard. He is best known for developing and promoting the concept of Multiple Intelligences.

However, independent of giving me ideas to discuss with my daughter, I have found the book very stimulating, both personally and professionally.
Gardner defines five specific cognitive abilities that he claims will be sought and cultivated by leaders. Roughly here is my paraphrase of each of the minds, as applied to research.

• The Disciplinary Mind: You need to master a specific discipline or research area. This takes about ten years.
• The Synthesizing Mind: You need to learn to integrate ideas from different disciplines into a coherent whole and to communicate that integration to others.
• The Creating Mind: You need to develop the capacity to uncover and clarify new problems, questions and phenomena.
• The Respectful Mind: You need to be aware of and appreciate different approaches and values within your discipline and between disciplines.
• The Ethical Mind: You need to fulfill your responsibilities as a worker within your institution, your discipline, and as a citizen.

Paul, apostle, D.Min.?

The Doctor of Ministry is an interesting degree which raises all sorts of questions. Why do ministers undertake it? For reflection on their experience of ministry? To gain more respect from their congregations, by being called Dr.? As a stepping stone to gaining a position teaching in a seminary or a theological college?

I am on a committee which reviews applications for admission and proposals for research projects for this degree. The applications make fascinating reading. Here are a few observations and generalisations, which will hopefully generate some discussion.

Most proposals are too driven by personal experience, both how the the research project is formulated and the "hypothesis" that is being examined. Some want to "prove" something about the problem with their situation, i.e., they are going to gather evidence to support their claim, not look for evidence that might show that their hypothesis are wrong or the situation is more complicated than they thought.

The best hypotheses in science are falsifiable.

Given the intimate involvement of the student with the research subject it is not clear they have the objectivity necessary. Their relationship with interviewees (e.g., a pastor with members of his congregation, a mission director and his staff) may mean that the information gathered and processed may be slanted.

Some propose studying and/or interviewing such small groups of people it is not clear that statistically meaningful information will result.

There is little theological, historical or Biblical reflection on the issues at hand. Is any ministry situation in the twenty-first situation really that different from the past?

Although in an Australian context there appears to be a common pre-occupation with

American influences, writers, and materials. Most bibliographies seem to contain only very recent literature (i.e., the last decade). Surely, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Barth, Wilberforce, Boenhoffer, and others have much to say that is relevant...

On the other hand, every situation is geographically and historically unique. Much can be learned from examining what is unique and what is common. Most of the proposals do not propose such a comparative analysis.

Unfortunately, some students present a pessimistic view of the church and its future. Sometimes, they are judgemental about their congregations and denomination.

Many are looking for (or claim to have found) a magic solution to their problems. This is usually some new technique, method, or framework (family systems theory, narrative theology, purpose-driven church, Appreciative Inquiry, ...) I don't question that such approaches may have something to offer. But, it seems too much is being hoped for and the proposals and methodologies overlook the complexity of situations and multi-faceted problem being considered.

Conference on the church and the academy

What should the relationship be between the church and the academy?

This will be a theme of a conference to be held at Emmanuel College in the University of Queensland at the end of June this year.

One stream of the conference focuses on Biblical studies, theology, and mission.

The purpose of the second stream is to bring together scholars working in secular academic disciplines to explore how intellectual issues in their disciplines interact with issues in theological and Biblical studies. This is increasingly important due to the rise of postmodernism and economic rationalism in the academy and of anti-intellectualism in the church. Scholars in the arts, sciences, and engineering who are Christians are being asked to present papers on how a Biblical perspective might dialogue with their discipline and/or how the church can benefit from such a dialogue.

In 2009 we had papers such as

Can Cultural Linguistics Serve the Indigenous Church?

Churches Supporting Christians in the Academy

Confessions of a Christian Criminologist

Divine Pedagogy: Theological Use of Educational Imagery

Law and gospel: Jurisprudential implications of a theological schema

Science and Christian Apologetics - Opportunities and Pitfalls

Statutory Construction and Biblical Hermeneutics - Law in the Service of the Gospel?

Student attitudes to some ideas of Science and Christianity

Taming your Tongue in Academia

The Evangelical Christian School: 10 Critical Issues

The Spirit of St Benedict and the 21st Century University

Theology 2.0: Blogging as Theological Discourse Consider attending and submitting an abstract.

Walking the theological tight-rope

This weekend I heard a nice introductory talk by Andrew Bain for students at Queensland Theological College. He gave a historical overview of the relationship

between theology and other disciplines in the university, and considered the implications (dangers and opportunities) for theological education today. The following is my reflection on Andrew's talk.

It seems that theological education (and research) tends to veer to one of two extremes: isolationism or an uncritical syncretism.

In the first extreme the focus remains on the Bible and traditional creeds but there is no real engagement with society and intellectual currents of the time.

This may lead to the church and its message becoming irrelevant and ineffective. It may also mean that theology cannot benefit from real and relevant advances in other disciplines. This isolationism may be driven by fear of liberalism and the decline

(prophetic, numerical, and financial) usually associated with it, particularly in mainline denominations.

The opposite extreme is an uncritical syncretism results when the latest intellectual and academic fashions are allowed to define the content, method, and scope of theology. This may be driven by a fear of being labeled as "fundamentalist" or "fideist" or anachronistic or a yearning for academic acceptance and respect.

So the tight-rope walk is to not veer to one extreme or the other.

This means engaging critically with recent scholarship but never letting it define the object of theology, the tri-une God who has the freedom to reveal Himself.

Almost a hundred years ago a young pastor struggled with such a balance and wrote in the preface of his first book:

The historical-critical method of Biblical investigation has its rightful place…. But, were I driven to choose between it and the venerable doctrine of Inspiration, I should without hesitation adopt the latter, which has a broader, deeper, more important justification. The doctrine of Inspiration is concerned with the labour of apprehending, without which no technical equipment, however complete, is of any use whatever. Fortunately, I am not compelled to choose between the two. Nevertheless, my whole energy of interpreting has been expended in an endeavour to see through and beyond history into the spirit of the Bible, which is the Eternal Spirit.

This is what Karl Barth wrote in the Preface of the first edition of Der Romerbrief.

Is Academia paradise?

One thing that caught my attention and bewilderment in John Piper's talk The Pastor as Scholar: a Personal Journey was his discussion on his struggle to leave his position teaching at Bethel College and take a position as a pastor. He says,

I knew what this would mean to leave the world of academia.

• It would mean no more Summers free to read and study and write.
• It would mean endless administrative pressures and challenges.
• It would mean an uncontrollable schedule.
• It would mean an audience who would not want or reward academic prowess but pastoral warmth and presence.
• It would mean funerals and weddings and baptisms and counseling and hospital visitation and emergencies and conflict resolution and staff management.
• It would mean that the days of publishing articles in New Testament Studies and Theologische Zeitscrift and the days of being on the cutting edge of any scholarly discipline were over.
• It would mean pressure to write a sermon or two or three every week would be relentless.

I don't doubt that this is what it meant to Piper. However, for the record his experience in academia is anomalous. Be assured that in the twenty-first century in practically any university or theological college there is plenty of administrative pressure, staff management, conflict resolution, lack of reward of academic prowess, ...

John Piper's disillusionment with theological scholarship

In John Piper's talk at a symposium, The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor, in Chicago, he gave this critique of the theological academy, largely based on his experience doing a doctorate at the University of Munich.

I was disillusioned by such scholarship.

• Driven by the need for peer approval.
• Using technical jargon that only insiders understand and that often conceals ambiguity.
• A speculative focus in object and methodology (Formgeschichte, Traditionsgeschichte, andRedaktionsgeschichte, and Sachkritik) that gave rise to scholarly articles which began in the mode ofWahrscheinlichkeit and by the end had been transformed into the mode of Sicherheit by the waving of the wand of scholarly consensus.
• Using linguistic skills to create vagueness and conceal superficiality.
• Not pressing the question of meaning until it yields the riches of theological truth.
• Not having the smell of heaven or hell, nor seeming to care much about lostness.
• Not letting exultation into their explanations, and therefore not being able to show the reality of things that cannot be illumined except in the light of exultation.
• Not seeing the incoherence between the infinite value of the object of the study and the naturalistic nature of their study. The whole atmosphere seemed unplugged from the majesty of the object.

The Pastor as Scholar: a Personal Journey

I wonder if this is also what Karl Barth would have said?

John Piper on true scholarship

Last year Don Carson and John Piper spoke at a symposium, The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor, in Chicago.

I just read most of Piper's (rather long) talk, The Pastor as Scholar: a Personal Journey, which is worth wrestling with. Here is one extract, concerning his time as a student at Fuller seminary:

• Nobody pierced to the essence of true scholarship the way Dan Fuller did. In partnership with Mortimer Adler’s How To Read a Book, he taught me that true scholarship, whatever our vocation, was:
• to observe the subject matter accurately and thoroughly,
• to understand clearly what was observed,
• to evaluate fairly what was understood by deciding what is true and valuable,
• to feel intensely according to the value of what was evaluated,
• to apply wisely and helpfully in life what is understood and felt, and
• to express in speech and writing and deeds what was seen, understood, felt, and applied in such a way that its accuracy, clarity, truth, value, and helpfulness can be known and enjoyed by others.

Theologians vs. Eyewitnesses to the Word

In Chapter 3 of Evangelical Theology: An Introduction, Karl Barth clarifies how evangelical theology is related to the biblical witnesses to the Word of God.

The position of theology, ..., can in no wise be exalted above that of the biblical witnesses. The post-Biblical theologian may, no doubt, possess a better astronomy, geography, zoology, psychology, physiology, and so on than these biblical witnesses possessed; but as for the Word of God, he is not justified in comporting himself in relationship to those witnesses as though he knows more about the Word than they. He is neither a president of a seminary, not the Chairman of the Board of some Christian Institute of Advanced Theological Studies, who might claim some authority over the prophets and apostles. He cannot grant or refuse them a hearing as though they were colleagues on the faculty. Still less is he a high-school teacher authorized to look over their shoulder benevolently or crossly, to correct their notebooks, or to give them good, average, or bad marks. Even the smallest, strangest, simplest, or obscurest among the biblical witnesses has an incomparable advantage over even the most pious, scholarly, and sagacious latter-day theologian.

You can read the full passage in context here. This is part of the third lecture in a series of five he gave at University of Chicago and Princeton Theological Seminary towards the end of his career. I don't think some of his audience would have been too enamoured with such a view.

Theology in the university?

What is the role of theology in a university, particularly a secular one?

Perhaps, to remind other academic disciplines that they are based on presuppositions and these may be questionable.

On his blog per-Crucem-ad-Lucem, Jason Goroncy has a nice post on this subject which contains some quotes from Karl Barth (who for more than 20 years was a Professor at University of Basel).

When reading the quotes bear in mind that in the English translation "science" is used for "wissenschaft" which could also be translated as "academic discipline".