Sorry that it has been a while since my last post. I pretty much disconnected from technology while I was home for winter break. I had a little over a month off, which was a time well spent being lazy, leisure reading, and spending time with friends and family. Not to mention that I got to spend an entire month with Perry!
Christmas was good. I drove up to St. Louis and did the whole Christmas Eve thing with Perry's family and then we drove back to Memphis on Christmas morning in the snow (very early!). Basically, most of my break was Perry and I driving back and forth between Memphis and St. Louis. However, I enjoyed it nonetheless. A bunch of my friends from SLU met up in St. Louis for New Year's Eve, which was oh so much fun. Also, I happened to be in STL when everyone came back to SLU, so I got to see a lot of my friends still at SLU that I rarely get to see anymore.
Alas, I had to return to Cambridge to begin a new semester of classes. This semester I'm taking a seminar on Martin Luther King, Jr. I loved my course on Gandhi and I thought this would be a wonderful addition to my learnings in nonviolence. I've even seriously considered pursing further study in this field, as I find it so fascinating. While in Memphis, Perry and I went to the National Civil Rights Museum. I was happy to see that at the end, they had a display on Gandhi, outlining his campaigns, as well as his influences on MLK. This semester, as I have begun reading King's works, it's like reading Gandhi all over again. I also didn't realize King visited India to learn more about Gandhi. My professor for the class (even though he is slightly boring...) knew Martin Luther King, so it's cool to hear his insights.
I am also taking a class on Reformed Christian Thought. As of right now, I'm planning on matriculating (fingers crossed!) into a Ph.D. program after I finish my MTS, in which I'd focus on the history and theologies of the 16th century reformations. So, this reformed thought class is exactly what I'm interested in. However, reformed thought does not imply reformation thought, but rather the tradition originating in John Calvin.
Another course I'm enrolled in is Introductions to the New Testament, which dives in to different methods and hermeneutics for interpreting the Christian scriptures. It's taught by Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza who is one of the most well-known theologians on feminist theology, so I'm excited to be in her class. She's all about breaking down power structures.
Lastly, I'm in a Latin course. Well, actually two Latin courses. The first is intermediate Latin. But, since I've already passed the Latin proficiency exam, I'm just auditing this class. I want some grammar review, which this will aid in, as well as translating some early Christian texts (currently doing the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which obviously didn't make it into the Bible, as I'm sure most people have never heard of Thecla, ha). I'm also in an advanced Latin course on the writings of Penitent women in Medieval Italy. Penitent women were lay women who still chose to live lives of piety. Pretty much like being a nun, but not taking vows and therefore not formally under the ecclesiastical hierarchy. It's difficult at times, but I enjoy learning and this will certainly improve my Latin.
So as you can see, I have a full semester ahead of me! It's like a never ending cycle of class, reading, and translating. That's alright though. As daunting as it seems, I just have to remember that I like it and that this is why I'm here. But don't worry, I have my down time! In fact, today being Thursday, is my TV night (Community, Parks & Rec., the Office, 30 Rock, and Outsourced)!
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| Snow at HDS! |
Christmas was good. I drove up to St. Louis and did the whole Christmas Eve thing with Perry's family and then we drove back to Memphis on Christmas morning in the snow (very early!). Basically, most of my break was Perry and I driving back and forth between Memphis and St. Louis. However, I enjoyed it nonetheless. A bunch of my friends from SLU met up in St. Louis for New Year's Eve, which was oh so much fun. Also, I happened to be in STL when everyone came back to SLU, so I got to see a lot of my friends still at SLU that I rarely get to see anymore.
Alas, I had to return to Cambridge to begin a new semester of classes. This semester I'm taking a seminar on Martin Luther King, Jr. I loved my course on Gandhi and I thought this would be a wonderful addition to my learnings in nonviolence. I've even seriously considered pursing further study in this field, as I find it so fascinating. While in Memphis, Perry and I went to the National Civil Rights Museum. I was happy to see that at the end, they had a display on Gandhi, outlining his campaigns, as well as his influences on MLK. This semester, as I have begun reading King's works, it's like reading Gandhi all over again. I also didn't realize King visited India to learn more about Gandhi. My professor for the class (even though he is slightly boring...) knew Martin Luther King, so it's cool to hear his insights.
I am also taking a class on Reformed Christian Thought. As of right now, I'm planning on matriculating (fingers crossed!) into a Ph.D. program after I finish my MTS, in which I'd focus on the history and theologies of the 16th century reformations. So, this reformed thought class is exactly what I'm interested in. However, reformed thought does not imply reformation thought, but rather the tradition originating in John Calvin.
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| Walking to class! |
Lastly, I'm in a Latin course. Well, actually two Latin courses. The first is intermediate Latin. But, since I've already passed the Latin proficiency exam, I'm just auditing this class. I want some grammar review, which this will aid in, as well as translating some early Christian texts (currently doing the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which obviously didn't make it into the Bible, as I'm sure most people have never heard of Thecla, ha). I'm also in an advanced Latin course on the writings of Penitent women in Medieval Italy. Penitent women were lay women who still chose to live lives of piety. Pretty much like being a nun, but not taking vows and therefore not formally under the ecclesiastical hierarchy. It's difficult at times, but I enjoy learning and this will certainly improve my Latin.
So as you can see, I have a full semester ahead of me! It's like a never ending cycle of class, reading, and translating. That's alright though. As daunting as it seems, I just have to remember that I like it and that this is why I'm here. But don't worry, I have my down time! In fact, today being Thursday, is my TV night (Community, Parks & Rec., the Office, 30 Rock, and Outsourced)!