Ok so I'm sifting through some Geerhardus Vos for an interview for the Crypta and I came across something very interesting to me as it relates to seminary.
Vos had been teaching at Theologische School in Grand Rapids and was asked for a year to come over to Princeton, which he declined at first. What pushed him? What made Vos reject his original premise for not going to Princeton? The answer is revealed in a letter to Herman Bavinck where he states that the work at his current seminary wouldn't sustain him for the long run. This was the case for the young students who studied there were, in his estimate, poorly educated and the accomplishments from the work the students produced were so small that he lost heart. Besides the other residing professors weren't producing solid work either.
This struck fear into me as a seminary student and gave me a wake up call. Though there are a number of things one can take from Vos' statements on this, one rings loud for me and that is:
You can go to seminary and get by and get the degree. You can meet the qualifications. You can crank out the papers. You can cram for the exams. You can graduate. I take it that is the normal course one charts through their time in seminary.
However, there is an alternative. Your lectures can be viewed as sitting at the feet of very able men of God. All of my professors are accomplished authors and theologians. With that understanding I pay attention with a peculiar respect and interest intent on learning, full aware of the privilege that has been given me to be there. Also, instead of just writing a paper and producing the type of work that would make Vos want to resign, I can write as though I was really trying to further Christianity, to add and make an impact in the particular area I choose to write in. To realize that I have the privilege to turn my papers into men who are doctors of their specific areas of study and have already been published in these areas is an enormous blessing.
Vos had been teaching at Theologische School in Grand Rapids and was asked for a year to come over to Princeton, which he declined at first. What pushed him? What made Vos reject his original premise for not going to Princeton? The answer is revealed in a letter to Herman Bavinck where he states that the work at his current seminary wouldn't sustain him for the long run. This was the case for the young students who studied there were, in his estimate, poorly educated and the accomplishments from the work the students produced were so small that he lost heart. Besides the other residing professors weren't producing solid work either.
This struck fear into me as a seminary student and gave me a wake up call. Though there are a number of things one can take from Vos' statements on this, one rings loud for me and that is:
You can go to seminary and get by and get the degree. You can meet the qualifications. You can crank out the papers. You can cram for the exams. You can graduate. I take it that is the normal course one charts through their time in seminary.
However, there is an alternative. Your lectures can be viewed as sitting at the feet of very able men of God. All of my professors are accomplished authors and theologians. With that understanding I pay attention with a peculiar respect and interest intent on learning, full aware of the privilege that has been given me to be there. Also, instead of just writing a paper and producing the type of work that would make Vos want to resign, I can write as though I was really trying to further Christianity, to add and make an impact in the particular area I choose to write in. To realize that I have the privilege to turn my papers into men who are doctors of their specific areas of study and have already been published in these areas is an enormous blessing.
I can write to satisfy a class requirement or I can write to publish and try to join the labors for all of Christendom. Some view writing papers as just fulfilling a requirement and that the professor can careless what you write about for it’s just a requirement you and him are fulfilling; your's being a grade and his being a job. Apparently, with Vos and I am sure many other, seminary student's work does count! It does matter!
This is graduate school. This is not a Bachelor's degree. This is not undergrad work where you memorize facts and regurgitate them for tests. We are to understand our subjects and interact with them not merely recall facts. We are to be past the point of cramming for a research paper and turning in mediocre work. We are supposed to be writing as though our paper would be proposed for publishing. Dr. John's Frame grading scale for written assignments highlights this:
A: Good grasp of the basic issues, plus something really extraordinary, worthy of publication...
A-: An A paper, except that it requires some minor improvement before an editor would finally accept it for publication.
I am no scholar nor pretend to be, evidenced by my grammar and punctuation. However, I work hard and I seek improvement with every step. The amount of inspiration I receive from Vos' comments to Bavinck is immeasurable and thought I would pass it on.
No comments:
Post a Comment