It has come to my intention that my blogs are too long. I like to write, so I shan't shorten them. Rather, I will provide a Reader's Digest addendum at the beginning of each post, which I will follow with reflection, expandations, and meditations. That way, we all win!
READER'S DIGEST
Today was a good day. In the morning, we had a little more of orientation. We got our portfolios with all of the syllabi info in it and such. Afterwards I went upstairs to study, and then later that afternoon went to my first class, Leadership and Vocation. We are studying personal narratives and getting ready for our service projects. Then we had our discussion groups. My facilitator is the leader of ASP Jerry Herbert. I like him, he coo'. Took pictures of the Capitol from my rooftop. Look here: http://picasaweb.google.com/thekerrywake/CapitolFromASP02#
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THE BETTER PART
Today was the first day of real class, and real wake up time (8:00 this time, but I'll have to wake up earlier soon...booo-urns). I'm not gonna talk much about the orientation, it was orientation after all. However, I will talk about what I learned today.
Today we started our course in Leadership and Vocation, whose objective is:
1. Develop a vision for you calling int he world that is rooted in an understandind of the truthful and narrative nature of the Bible and its vision for the coherence of knowing and doing.
2. reflect on your public service project and internship experiences in order to evaluate the way in which your field of interest reflects both God's good intentions as well as the distortions of a sinful and broken world.
3. Think critically about how our culture seeks to press us into seeing the world through a dualistic fact/value, public/private framework about how our personal narratives can also shape the way we see and respond to the world.
I find the focus on 'narratives' interesting. I was opened up to the idea in an apologetic manner in my Christian Discipleship and Evangelism/Missions courses back freshman year of NWC, but since then I have rarely heard the term or language. I think that's because I have delved into studying theology and philosophy, where much of the professors employ a more rational/systematic study of the issues. Also, I have been studying postmodernism for a while, in theology classes as well in my preliminary research for my capstone, so I hear both the critiques and praises of postmodern thought.
However, the American Studies Program does not hold to relativism. They affirm that there is one truth as revealed by the Biblical narrative. However, we all have our own narratives and lense through which we interpret the Bible, yet the Bible reflects back at us, and one could say interprets us. The Bible reveals things about our worldviews and narratives that we never considered, mostly because we were blind to those presuppositions.
This area intrigues me, so I look forward to studying it more and learning more.
Guh, Inauguration is tomorrow. I don't think I'll go. Too many people and too much idolatry for one day.
=END TRANSMISSION=
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2 comments:
I'm starting to think that our house needs to start a John fan club. Kristin is downstairs chatting with you, she and Lorie were both laughing at... I don't know... something you said. And simultaneously, I was laughing loudly in my room while reading your blog and then brought my laptop down to the living room to share it with them, which is when I discovered that they were already on the John bandwagon. Dang. Either you're really cool, or we're really pathetic. Or both.
That sounds like a really cool course - quite similar to what I'm learning about leadership right now, actually (literally. I'm in class right now, but kinda not paying attention). Good stuff!
I'm glad you're enjoying your time so far, what a cool opportunity!
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