Courses thus far

Two posts in a row, so I’m clearly dawdling on creating a questionnaire for my Research Methods class.  🙂

Classes are going well so far, but it’s early yet.  By the end of the semester, I should have my research proposal completed.  Pentateuch is interesting… I like the instructor, but last class we spent like 45 minutes discussing who the “sons of God” are in Genesis 6:2 (and the lecturer brought it up!), then an hour on Genesis 12-50.  Yep – we blew right through Abram/Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the tribes, and Joseph.  Niiiiice.  Of all those topics, which do you think stands a better chance of being on the exam?  Hmmm?

We’ve already had two assignments in Introduction to NT:  one on the origins and composition of the Sanhedrin (really want to know why) and on divorce.  He’s giving us a ton of reading via pages from books to copy, and I think he means it when he says that if he hands it to us, he’s taught us (most lecturers just test on their lectures).  Worship II and Spirituality will be called something else on the transcript since we’ve already done Worship II.  The African Theology class is good, but again, it’s early.  I’m a mite bit concerned about memorizing everything I need to for the exams (like names), since I have, oh, ZERO knowledge on anything African.  

In African Church History, I get a tiny bit uncomfortable when we discuss the white missionaries, because they brought colonialism with the Gospel.  The lecturer was very sweet, and one day made a point of telling me that he means no disrespect, and it’s clear that no one there holds anything against me.  Nonetheless, it’s painful to listen to them talk about Africanizing their worship services – they love the hymns, but have been working, and sometimes fighting, for literally centuries to make their worship theirs.  Then of course, we had a discussion on whether jumping is really dancing (people will often get on the stage/go up front and dance).  Then they ask me if our services are like theirs. 🙂