Katie’s Blog

I think it was Billy Madison who said, “Back to school! Back to school, to prove to Dad that I’m not a fool!” And as I began my “twentieth” consecutive year of education last month, I began to wonder if I was INSANE. Okay, so perhaps I’m being a bit melodramatic. But all those years of education really began to catch up with me. But now that I’ve been at this again for a couple weeks, I feel myself getting back into the swing of things. So I’ll share a bit about each of my classes and what this year has in store for me.

JOHANNINE LITERATURE-
I have wanted to take this class ever since I took Synoptic Gospels in Spring of 2006. I’m most looking forward to reading Sandra M. Schneiders’ “Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel” (Herder and Herder, 2003).

PROPHETS-
I’ve mentioned before my involvement in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd approach to the religious formation of children. Much of the scripture we look at with children is rich in imagery from the Gospel of John… and the prophets! I had Wisdom Literature last semester, and every time we mentioned the prophets I got so excited! And at last, I can sink my teeth into these wonderful saints of the Old Testament!

PREACHING I-
This is the largest class I’m in- 16 of us! It’s quite a diverse group—ages ranging from 24 to 54+; Catholics and Protestants; 7 seminarians; 7 women; 2 lay men; and all of us are at different points in the completion of our studies. I’m beginning to realize how thankful I am that my coursework and formation here requires I take a course on preaching. Already we’re beginning to unpack that word—preaching—and see the awesome power of Christ alive in the proclamation of the Word!

USES OF PHILOSOPHY IN THEOLOGY-
Even though I’m a third year M.Div. student, we don’t exactly have a set schedule or order for the classes we are to take. Sure there are pre-reqs here and there. But nothing is set in stone. This class, however, I probably should have taken a few semesters ago! If I thought I could repress all the Plato and Aristotle I learned in undergrad, it is certainly coming back to haunt me now (in a good way, I think)! I’m also very excited to have this class with Fr. Rick as it is the last class he’ll teach before he’s installed as President in January.

CHURCH HISTORY I-
Again, another class most students take in their first year. I took Church History II, I just couldn’t fit Church History I into my schedule until now. A funny coincidence, my sister is a sophomore (pre-med major) at a state university. She’s taking a Medieval History class, too. And low and behold, we had the same homework assignment the other week- Athanasius of Alexandria’s “The Life of Anthony of Egypt”!

LAY FORMATION V-
This is a “directed” reading-type course. I’m all by myself—the gift and curse of being a lay M.Div. student. One perk is I got to pick what personally, spiritually enriching book I wanted to read: Maria Harris’ “Teaching and Religious Imagination”.

So there you have it folks. It’s “only” 13 credit hours, but along with 20 hours of work (plus ministry) each week, it fills my plate quite nicely!