I'm up in Boston for the weekend (the kiddo's at home with Nana!) for the Society of Biblical Literature's annual conference. It's a good place for networking, meeting with faculty and students from graduate schools I'm interested in. Even though it's not exactly the area I want to go into for further study, at least it's of interest and there are enough people here from programs I'm interested in to make it worth my while.
Tonight there was a meeting of the Quaker Theological Discussion Group, which was fun to be part of. Quaker Religious Thought publishes papers presented here (as well as other papers, etc.), so it was fun to be part of the presentation part, not just the reading part. Presentations were on two topics: book reviews and an authorial response of Brent Bill's book "The Sacred Compass" (which I haven't read but sounds excellent); and some presentations on various aspects of Quaker education. I enjoyed hearing what people had to say, seeing old F/friends and meeting new ones.
"The Sacred Compass" sounds great in terms of what I've been thinking a lot about lately on my blog and for my classes. On the way up here I was reading more about Gandhi and MLKJ, and was bowled over by the demand for truth: not a truth that criticizes or belittles, but a truth that includes, a truth that encourages, a truth that brings out the best in one's opponents and allows them to courageously and freely choose what is right. It sounds like this is some of what "The Sacred Compass" is about. I may have to get my hands on a copy and incorporate it into my paper.
But I'd better go to sleep now and be fresh and ready to make a good impression tomorrow with graduate school faculty!
5 comments:
Best wishes at the conference, Cherice (and best to Nana and Espen, and of course, Joel!). I haven't read "The Sacred Compass." Guess I should get to it.
Gr. Ralph
So you're in Boston! it's cold there isn't it? It's 80 degrees here, and beautiful!! I intended to Skype you, but will wait until you get back home. Praying for you as you try to decide re: further education. Is there a Quaker school that would fill your requirements? Love ya, Kakee
Nope, no Quaker schools with doctoral programs (except GFES with its DMin, but that's mostly for pastors, not for teachers), so I have to go to some other denomination's school. But they're not all bad! =) I'll teach them a thing or two about theology, right? Ha!
"I'll teach them a thing or two about theology, right? Ha!"
Cherice, you were joking but I have no doubt that you will do just that. Love you!
Gr. Ralph
For anyone on the West Coast who wants to learn more about the Sacred Compass, Brent and Nancy Bill will be leading the year end retreat (Dec 27-1/2 at Ben Lomond Quaker Center, on the theme of spiritual discernment.
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