What I'm up to...

I thought you might be interested to see a little bit of how I'm spending my time in school this term. What better way than to see the reading list for my classes? In case you can't tell, being in seminary is pretty much about reading and writing. All of my classes have minimum 15 page term papers (which really isn't that bad...) as well. This fall, I'm taking three classes:

1. Evangelism, Education, and Formation for the Missional Church
- excerpts from Richard Osmer, Practical Theology (Dr. Osmer is my professor)
- Dan Migliori, "The Missionary God and the Missionary Church"
- Darell Guder, "The Word Became Flesh: The WHAT and HOW of Mission"
- Elizabeth Marquardt, Between Two Worlds
- Brian McLaren, More Ready Than You Realize
- Martha Grace Reese, Unbinding the Gospel: Real Life Evangelism
- Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction
- Glen McDonald, The Disciple Making Church
- Darell Guder - The Continuing Conversion of the Church
- Raymond Fung, The Isaiah Vision
- Richard Bauckham, Bible and Mission
- Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen, The Drama of Scripture
- Leonard Sweet, Post Modern Pilgrims

2. Prayer and the Spiritual-Devotional Life
- Jeanne Guyon, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
- Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises and Selected Works
Various articles on/by:
- Aelered of Rievaulx
- Bernard of Clairvaux
- Hildegard of Bingen
- Jean Leclercq
- Sister Kassia
- Brenda Meehan
- Kallistos Ware
- Aufa Kuma
- Andrew Walls
- Plus a lot of other and recommended readings

3. Curriculum and the Methods of Teaching
- Allan Orstein and Francis Hunkins, Curriculum: Foundations, Principles, and Issues
- Hellmut Lang and David Evans, Models, Strategies, and Methods for Effective Teaching

In the January term (a three week short term), I'm taking a class on the German Church Struggle from 1914-1950. I'm very excited for this class because it will provide great context for my Dietrich Bonhoeffer studies.

This quarter, I already have two free field trips scheduled. First, with my prayer class, I'm traveling to Manhattan to St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary to particpate in an eastern Orthodox prayer service (will I be able to stand the entire time?). Then, later in October, I'm going on a trip to Washington, D.C. to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. They provide the bus, lunch, admission, a snack, and a speaker for the way up and back - all for free! It's exciting to be so close to all of these opportunities.

So, a week and a half in and I'm really enjoying my time here at Princeton Seminary. I'm very pleased with my classes and professors. They are all of course leaders in their field, but are also very approachable and very willing to meet with students. I've already had meetings with two of my professors, and plan on scheduling a meeting with the third in the next week or so.

Well, I think I better get back to the books!