Currently available (Nov 2015):
Tim Challies: "As I complete new quizzes, I will add them to this page."
h/t Paul Carden.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Theological Quizzes in PDF Format from Tim Challies
h/t Paul Carden.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Bible Commentaries
BibleGateway. This is a linked list of available online commentaries, including Matthew Henry's, etc.
I recommend the IVP New Testament Commentary Series:
The Grace Commentary. "A Free Online Bible Commentary". As of June 2015, includes Luke and Jonah.
I recommend the IVP New Testament Commentary Series:
Pastors with a passion for sound exposition and scholars with a heart for pastoral leadership have joined forces to produce this exciting commentary series. Each volume, informed by the best of up-to-date evangelical scholarship, presents passage-by-passage commentary based on the NIV along with background information on authorship, setting, theme and various interpretive issues. A unique format allows the main commentary to focus on the vital message of the New Testament for today's church, while bottom-of-the-page notes include valuable scholarly information to support those who use the volumes as a resource for preaching or teaching preparation.
The Grace Commentary. "A Free Online Bible Commentary". As of June 2015, includes Luke and Jonah.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Welcome To The Academy - Syllabus Insert (part 3 - Citation Standards and Plagiarism)
This is part three of the material I embed in my apologetics syllabus used at Trans-Africa Theological College in Kitwe, Zambia. It attempts to communicate expectations around academic integrity and to encourage the internalization of academic integrity values and goals within students.
———————————— part 3 ————————————-
Citing Sources (and Avoiding Plagiarism): A Biblical View
Scholars acquire and use knowledge; we build on the facts, information, ideas, and opinions of others. As someone has said, “we stand on the shoulders of giants”. As users of facts and ideas, we need to let our readers know where we got them. We do this by referencing or citing our sources (the words referencing and citing refer to the same thing).
Citing (referencing) serves a number of purposes:
Scholars acquire and use knowledge; we build on the facts, information, ideas, and opinions of others. As someone has said, “we stand on the shoulders of giants”. As users of facts and ideas, we need to let our readers know where we got them. We do this by referencing or citing our sources (the words referencing and citing refer to the same thing).
Citing (referencing) serves a number of purposes:
- It lets the reader know what sources we have identified in our research — it helps us get good grades.
- It strengthens our argument by providing evidence and/or authority for our assertions — this makes us good, careful scholars (and again helps us get a good grade!).
- It ensures that the originators and authors of facts, information, and ideas receive due recognition — it is a way for us to “give honor where honor is due”; it is a way to pay a debt of recognition (Rom 3:17-8).
d. It helps ensure we do not misrepresent someone else’s ideas or writings as our own — this helps us to be “truth-tellers” (Psa. 51:6, Col. 3:9, Eph. 4:15) and to avoid bearing false witness (Ex. 20:16).
e. It ensures we do not unfairly get credit for the work of others (1 Cor. 10:15). It thus ensures a level playing field (Proverbs 11:1) for all students competing for good grades.
e. It ensures we do not unfairly get credit for the work of others (1 Cor. 10:15). It thus ensures a level playing field (Proverbs 11:1) for all students competing for good grades.
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or words of another — whether an established author or another student — as your own. You can even self-plagiarize by submitting for academic credit something you have written previously for academic credit. Failure to cite sources adequately can result in charges of plagiarism.
The original meaning of plagiarism is kidnapping, or stealing, but the actual meaning today is often more subtle. It often has more to do with bearing false witness, presenting something as your own original work when it is not. If undetected, it creates an unfairness, where a student may get undeserved credit for work that is really not his or her own. It means that a debt of recognition to original authors goes unpaid. Moreover, it means that the purpose of the academic assignment — to build your critical thinking and critical writing skills — is short-circuited or frustrated. You fail to develop the very skills you are at college to develop.
For all these good reasons, TTC is strongly for proper citation of sources and strongly against plagiarism.
TTC Citation Standards
TTC follows the MLA standard for referencing, or citing. Citation has two main components. The first is a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. An entry should look something like this:
Ball, Richard. Apologetics Syllabus. Kitwe, Zambia: TTC, 2012.
The second is in-text parenthetical citations. Author-page entries would look like this:
According to Ball, we are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (3), or,
Ball says we are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (3), or,
We are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (Ball, 3).
For details, consult TTC MLA resources in the library. An online tutorial is available at http:// owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/.
How to Cite Sources
1. The first rule is to include every work you have consulted and used (i.e., your sources) in your
Reference (or Works Cited) List. There is no acceptable excuse for not doing this.
2. The second rule is to adequately and accurately acknowledge your sources in the body of your work. You do this by in-text parenthetical citations. Here are some further guidelines.
3. The third rule is this: when in doubt, cite.
Quoting. Quoting refers to the accurate use of the exact words or phrases of others. Quotes can provide evidence and authority for your argument; you can even use quotes of those who would disagree with your position or view. But don’t over-use direct quotes. Writing specialists suggest that only about 10% of our citations should be direct quotations (but I’m flexible on this). Other ways of using a source are paraphrasing and summarizing.
a. If you are using words directly, wrap them in “quotation marks” followed by an in-text citation.
The original meaning of plagiarism is kidnapping, or stealing, but the actual meaning today is often more subtle. It often has more to do with bearing false witness, presenting something as your own original work when it is not. If undetected, it creates an unfairness, where a student may get undeserved credit for work that is really not his or her own. It means that a debt of recognition to original authors goes unpaid. Moreover, it means that the purpose of the academic assignment — to build your critical thinking and critical writing skills — is short-circuited or frustrated. You fail to develop the very skills you are at college to develop.
For all these good reasons, TTC is strongly for proper citation of sources and strongly against plagiarism.
TTC Citation Standards
TTC follows the MLA standard for referencing, or citing. Citation has two main components. The first is a Works Cited page at the end of your paper. An entry should look something like this:
Ball, Richard. Apologetics Syllabus. Kitwe, Zambia: TTC, 2012.
The second is in-text parenthetical citations. Author-page entries would look like this:
According to Ball, we are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (3), or,
Ball says we are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (3), or,
We are supposed to cite our sources following MLA format (Ball, 3).
For details, consult TTC MLA resources in the library. An online tutorial is available at http:// owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/11/.
How to Cite Sources
1. The first rule is to include every work you have consulted and used (i.e., your sources) in your
Reference (or Works Cited) List. There is no acceptable excuse for not doing this.
2. The second rule is to adequately and accurately acknowledge your sources in the body of your work. You do this by in-text parenthetical citations. Here are some further guidelines.
3. The third rule is this: when in doubt, cite.
Quoting. Quoting refers to the accurate use of the exact words or phrases of others. Quotes can provide evidence and authority for your argument; you can even use quotes of those who would disagree with your position or view. But don’t over-use direct quotes. Writing specialists suggest that only about 10% of our citations should be direct quotations (but I’m flexible on this). Other ways of using a source are paraphrasing and summarizing.
a. If you are using words directly, wrap them in “quotation marks” followed by an in-text citation.
b. If the quotation is four lines or more, use an indented block quote, without quotation marks, like this:
Here is a bad, unacceptable paraphrase of the above paragraph:
“Paraphrasing entails considerably re-doing what the author has said, re-stating it in your own words. You do not produce a paraphrase by going to a book of synonyms and altering a few words here and there! Put the source down, think about it, and then re-write the ideas in your own words.”
Here is a good, acceptable paraphrase of the above paragraph:
“Paraphrasing must be more than a few cosmetic changes made by substituting synonymous words; it must be a substantial re-working and re-writing of the original author’s ideas in the present author’s own words.”
Paraphrasing is a skill; it takes practice; it is hard work. It is one of the skills of the tribe! And remember, when you paraphrase, you still need to cite.
Summarizing: A paraphrase is usually about the same size as the original text; a summary is much shorter. You can summarize a book or article’s main ideas in a page, or a paragraph, even! However, when you summarize, you still need to cite.
For more on quotes, paraphrases, and summaries, refer to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/ 563/.
An Exception to the Rule: Common Knowledge.
Material that is considered common knowledge does not have to be cited. For example, in a Christian theological context one could say, “Paul the apostle preached salvation by faith alone” without providing a citation as evidence; it is common knowledge. However, if someone has come up with a particularly memorable way of saying this, such as, “Paul preached salvation by grace alone, by faith alone, and by Christ alone”, and you used this, you would need to cite it, because it is a distinctive expression and you need to acknowledge the source.
Some Common Misconceptions.
“If it’s on the internet, it’s public information and does not need to be cited”. Not true. Regardless of where you got it, you need to cite it. (And, if it’s on the internet, you should make sure it’s a solid, reliable source before using and citing it!)
Failure to cite sources adequately can result in charges of plagiarism. Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or words of another — whether an established author or another student — as your own. You can even self-plagiarize by re-submitting something you have written previously for academic credit (Ball, 9).Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing entails substantially re-working what the author has said, re-expressing it in your own words. The size of a paraphrase will be roughly the same as the original. You do not produce an adequate paraphrase by consulting a thesaurus and changing a few words here and there. Put the book down, think about it, and re-express the ideas in your own words.
Here is a bad, unacceptable paraphrase of the above paragraph:
“Paraphrasing entails considerably re-doing what the author has said, re-stating it in your own words. You do not produce a paraphrase by going to a book of synonyms and altering a few words here and there! Put the source down, think about it, and then re-write the ideas in your own words.”
Here is a good, acceptable paraphrase of the above paragraph:
“Paraphrasing must be more than a few cosmetic changes made by substituting synonymous words; it must be a substantial re-working and re-writing of the original author’s ideas in the present author’s own words.”
Paraphrasing is a skill; it takes practice; it is hard work. It is one of the skills of the tribe! And remember, when you paraphrase, you still need to cite.
Summarizing: A paraphrase is usually about the same size as the original text; a summary is much shorter. You can summarize a book or article’s main ideas in a page, or a paragraph, even! However, when you summarize, you still need to cite.
For more on quotes, paraphrases, and summaries, refer to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/ 563/.
An Exception to the Rule: Common Knowledge.
Material that is considered common knowledge does not have to be cited. For example, in a Christian theological context one could say, “Paul the apostle preached salvation by faith alone” without providing a citation as evidence; it is common knowledge. However, if someone has come up with a particularly memorable way of saying this, such as, “Paul preached salvation by grace alone, by faith alone, and by Christ alone”, and you used this, you would need to cite it, because it is a distinctive expression and you need to acknowledge the source.
Some Common Misconceptions.
“If it’s on the internet, it’s public information and does not need to be cited”. Not true. Regardless of where you got it, you need to cite it. (And, if it’s on the internet, you should make sure it’s a solid, reliable source before using and citing it!)
“If I include it in my Reference List I don’t need to cite it in my paper”. Not true. A citation always stands on two legs: the in-text citation, and the Reference List citation. To remind you of these two aspects, think of what it means “2cite”.
“Once I have an in-text citation for a source, I can use the source from then on and without cite it again”. Wrong. You can’t just cite a source once and then keep using it as you write. Each time you use a source in the body of your paper, you need to acknowledge it via citation.
“It’s OK to use another student’s study notes or paper as long as I change it around a bit, maybe change the font if I’m typing it ”. Wrong. First, how are you going to develop your own critical thinking and writing skills if you rely on someone else’s work? Second, you’re submitting it for academic credit and presenting it as your own work, when it is not.
“It’s OK to take something I’ve done for one class and use it in another class”. Wrong again! You cannot re-submit a paper, even a re-worked paper, for credit in another course. This negates the purpose of the assignment, which is that you do fresh research and writing.
“It’s OK to use material without citing it if a) I’m short of time, b) I’m not particularly interested in the subject matter, or c) I don’t understand it”. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“It’s OK to use material without citing it if my English is poor and this is the only way I can get a passing grade”. I sympathize with you, but, again, the answer is no. Rather than copy and material without citing it, go to either Mrs. Kerr or the Librarian John Kalambo and discuss ways to develop your English skills. It is always better to submit something that is your own work with errors than to use another author’s faultless work without citing it.
As your instructor I will work with you in this area. One of the best ways of learning how to write is to learn how to read. By this I mean learn to observe the grammar, vocabulary, style, and citation practices of the authors you are reading.
“I only need to worry about citing sources if I think the instructor will catch me if I don’t”. Wrong — are you sure you belong in a theological college?
Summary:
It is unacceptable to copy something out of a book, newspaper, journal or any other printed or online
source without citing it.
It is important that the reader of your paper can tell what is yours, and what is someone else's.
For short quotes, use quotation marks in the sentence. For a longer quote, indent it.
Paraphrasing is fine, but it must be a good paraphrase, and you still need to cite.
Summarizing is fine, but you still need to cite.
If you need assistance with the writing of English, and/or with academic writing in general or the rules of citation in particular, seek help.
If in doubt, ask your instructor.
“Once I have an in-text citation for a source, I can use the source from then on and without cite it again”. Wrong. You can’t just cite a source once and then keep using it as you write. Each time you use a source in the body of your paper, you need to acknowledge it via citation.
“It’s OK to use another student’s study notes or paper as long as I change it around a bit, maybe change the font if I’m typing it ”. Wrong. First, how are you going to develop your own critical thinking and writing skills if you rely on someone else’s work? Second, you’re submitting it for academic credit and presenting it as your own work, when it is not.
“It’s OK to take something I’ve done for one class and use it in another class”. Wrong again! You cannot re-submit a paper, even a re-worked paper, for credit in another course. This negates the purpose of the assignment, which is that you do fresh research and writing.
“It’s OK to use material without citing it if a) I’m short of time, b) I’m not particularly interested in the subject matter, or c) I don’t understand it”. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“It’s OK to use material without citing it if my English is poor and this is the only way I can get a passing grade”. I sympathize with you, but, again, the answer is no. Rather than copy and material without citing it, go to either Mrs. Kerr or the Librarian John Kalambo and discuss ways to develop your English skills. It is always better to submit something that is your own work with errors than to use another author’s faultless work without citing it.
As your instructor I will work with you in this area. One of the best ways of learning how to write is to learn how to read. By this I mean learn to observe the grammar, vocabulary, style, and citation practices of the authors you are reading.
“I only need to worry about citing sources if I think the instructor will catch me if I don’t”. Wrong — are you sure you belong in a theological college?
Summary:
It is unacceptable to copy something out of a book, newspaper, journal or any other printed or online
source without citing it.
It is important that the reader of your paper can tell what is yours, and what is someone else's.
For short quotes, use quotation marks in the sentence. For a longer quote, indent it.
Paraphrasing is fine, but it must be a good paraphrase, and you still need to cite.
Summarizing is fine, but you still need to cite.
If you need assistance with the writing of English, and/or with academic writing in general or the rules of citation in particular, seek help.
If in doubt, ask your instructor.
Welcome To The Academy - Syllabus Insert (part 2 - Academic Habits and Writing Standards)
This is part two of the material I embed in my apologetics syllabus used at Trans-Africa Theological College in Kitwe, Zambia. It attempts to communicate expectations around academic integrity and to encourage the internalization of academic integrity values and goals within students.
Course Logistics and Student Study Habits
This is an intensive course. You will need to keep on top of your work. Plan on devoting each day, including evenings and week-ends, to your course work, as necessary. Plan on handing assignments in on time. Review and preview are great ways to learn and retain knowledge. Plan on reviewing previous material and previewing upcoming material daily. The course runs from 8am. until regular end of class day. We will generally start each day with prayer, praise, and review. If I am late arriving, treat this time as a gift from me to you and use it to review your notes from previous day(s) and to read the present day’s materials. “Redeem the time”!
Reading Assigned Books and Materials
If you are assigned a book, you are expected to read it. Depending on how critical the book is to the course work, it is not uncommon for a student to need to read an assigned book two or even three times. The first time, for general comprehension. The second and third time, for deeper comprehension.
———————————— part 2 ————————————-
Course Logistics and Student Study Habits
This is an intensive course. You will need to keep on top of your work. Plan on devoting each day, including evenings and week-ends, to your course work, as necessary. Plan on handing assignments in on time. Review and preview are great ways to learn and retain knowledge. Plan on reviewing previous material and previewing upcoming material daily. The course runs from 8am. until regular end of class day. We will generally start each day with prayer, praise, and review. If I am late arriving, treat this time as a gift from me to you and use it to review your notes from previous day(s) and to read the present day’s materials. “Redeem the time”!
Reading Assigned Books and Materials
If you are assigned a book, you are expected to read it. Depending on how critical the book is to the course work, it is not uncommon for a student to need to read an assigned book two or even three times. The first time, for general comprehension. The second and third time, for deeper comprehension.
Book Review - Guidelines
-
Objective of a Book Report. A book report should show the instructor you have read the book and
are familiar with its contents. Beyond this, you want to engage and interact with the book — what
we call critical thinking and writing.
-
Interact with the book. Tell the reader: what are its strengths, weaknesses, how did it help you,
what did you think of it, would you recommend it to others, how does it compare/differ from other
books you have read, etc.
-
Structure. A book review should have three sections: introduction, body, and conclusion.
-
Planning. Let’s say you are doing a five page book review. Is spending the first page describing the
author — who he is, what he has done, etc. — a good idea? That’s 20% of the review’s content —
it is not a good idea. Tell the reader in a sentence or two about the author and then move on. Let’s
say the book has eight chapters. You can plan to spend 1⁄2 page one each chapter, 1⁄2 page on
introduction and 1⁄2 page on conclusion. Don’t spent four pages on the first four chapters and then
try to cram the last four into a single page.
-
The Case For Faith (CFF). Since the book is about Eight Big Objections, you should try to touch
upon each of these in your book report. As a minimum, it would be a good idea to identify each
objection and provide at least one Christian response to it.
-
The Case For Christ (CFC). CFC has 14 chapters and also an introduction and conclusion. You
would have to fit about three chapters per page of book report if you try to cover each chapter.
Alternatively, CFC has three sections. You could plan on spending roughly a page and a half on
each section generally describing the contents and interacting with it.
- Your essays should follow TTC’s MLA formatting and referencing standards.
Essay Guidelines
1. Objectives. An essay should show evidence of research done — I’ll be looking at your reference list to see what works you have identified and cited. You should show evidence of knowledge of the subject matter. You should show evidence of critical thinking — you’ve thought about the subject and developed some ideas and opinions on it. You should show critical writing — meaning you have a point of view expressed as an argument and you can interact not only with authors you agree with but also with authors you disagree with or who would disagree with you.
2. Structure. Just like a sermon, an essay should have a beginning, middle, and an end. Put another way, it should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction you raise the issue at hand, in the body you address it, and in the conclusion you summarize your findings and state your conclusion
3. Formatting. Your essays should follow TTC’s MLA formatting and referencing standards.
4. Proof-reading. Do not submit a paper without proof-reading it -- especially if you have had it typed by somebody. You are responsible for what you submit for grading. Too often I find sloppy errors and students plead that they didn't proof-read their submission. If you want a good grade, make sure you proof-read, and correct the errors you detect.
Exam Questions
When you answer an exam question, try to relate your answer to the subject matter you have just studied. Use the exam question to demonstrate you have paid attention in class and done your assigned readings. Incorporate the course content into your answer — indicate how what you have heard or read in the course applies to the exam question you are answering. While there is always a place to show your instructor your general knowledge or cleverness even, the instructor is looking for evidence that you have understood the course contents and are able to integrate it into the tough questions of life and ministry.
Academic Writing Standards
Here are some of the specific things I will be looking for when reading and grading your papers. Many of these items are based on submissions from previous students.
1. Objectives. An essay should show evidence of research done — I’ll be looking at your reference list to see what works you have identified and cited. You should show evidence of knowledge of the subject matter. You should show evidence of critical thinking — you’ve thought about the subject and developed some ideas and opinions on it. You should show critical writing — meaning you have a point of view expressed as an argument and you can interact not only with authors you agree with but also with authors you disagree with or who would disagree with you.
2. Structure. Just like a sermon, an essay should have a beginning, middle, and an end. Put another way, it should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction you raise the issue at hand, in the body you address it, and in the conclusion you summarize your findings and state your conclusion
3. Formatting. Your essays should follow TTC’s MLA formatting and referencing standards.
4. Proof-reading. Do not submit a paper without proof-reading it -- especially if you have had it typed by somebody. You are responsible for what you submit for grading. Too often I find sloppy errors and students plead that they didn't proof-read their submission. If you want a good grade, make sure you proof-read, and correct the errors you detect.
Exam Questions
When you answer an exam question, try to relate your answer to the subject matter you have just studied. Use the exam question to demonstrate you have paid attention in class and done your assigned readings. Incorporate the course content into your answer — indicate how what you have heard or read in the course applies to the exam question you are answering. While there is always a place to show your instructor your general knowledge or cleverness even, the instructor is looking for evidence that you have understood the course contents and are able to integrate it into the tough questions of life and ministry.
Academic Writing Standards
Here are some of the specific things I will be looking for when reading and grading your papers. Many of these items are based on submissions from previous students.
-
To help me figure out who you are and to locate you in my list, always underline your family name,
e.g., Richard Ball.
-
Leave a 2 cm. margin around the top, bottom, and sides of the paper. I realize the scribes who
wrote the New Testament didn’t do this, but I want you to. It leaves room for me to write notes to
you and just looks better, like a picture frame.
-
Double-space your work. Again, the scribes didn’t do this, but you are not scribes transcribing
Scripture! Double-spacing helps make your work more readable and leaves room for instructor
comments, etc.
-
Do not split words at the end of a line with a hyphen. If you can’t fit the whole word on the line,
treat yourself to a whole fresh new line and start on the line below.
-
Double-sided writing is OK. If you want to save paper by writing on both sides of the page, that is
OK with me (but see the next rule).
-
Put a page number on each page of your paper.
- Write legibly. How can I give you an A+ if I can’t read your writing? (And where would Martin Luther be today if no one could read his 95 theses.)
-
Use paragraphs. Paragraphs are a writer’s friend. I know, scribes didn’t use paragraphs either —
but you should. There are two aspects to a paragraph. One, everything inside should belong there.
We call this “cohesion” — it all sticks together; it’s all related. Two, there should be a progression
from paragraph to paragraph. The last sentence of the previous paragraph should lead into the first
sentence of the next paragraph — like links in a chain. A paragraph should be at least three
sentences and probably not more than five or six — about a half page at most.
-
Show proper names as first name - last name (e.g., Lee Strobel). The only place I want to see last
name followed by first name is in the alphabetic Reference List at the end of your paper (e.g.,
Strobel, Lee). In the body of the paper, you could say “Lee Strobel” if it is the first time you use his
name, and after that, simply “Strobel”. There is no point in continuing to repeat his first name.
What I do not want to see is something like this: “Strobel Lee says there are good reasons for
believing Jesus rose from the dead”. If you write like this, “Ball Richard” will not be happy! (That
was a joke in case you missed it.)
11.Watch your grammar. Good grammar is tough. The best way to learn good grammar is to read a lot and observe the grammatical structures you come across as you read. There are good grammar books in the TTC Library. If your grammar could stand improvement, invest in yourself and check out a grammar book. Grammar counts.
12.Use possessives correctly. It is God’s book , not Gods book. It is Strobel’s opinion, not Strobels opinion.
13. Know how to read and use common Latin abbreviations used in academic writing: i.e. means “that is”; e.g. means “for example”; cf. means “compare with”.
A final suggestion: Check your work against this list before submitting an assignment.
Welcome To The Academy - Syllabus Insert (part 1 -- The Academic Model of Learning)
This is part one of the material I embed in my apologetics syllabus used at Trans-Africa Theological College in Kitwe, Zambia. It attempts to communicate expectations around academic integrity and to encourage the internalization of academic integrity values and goals within students.
———————————— Welcome to the Academy! ————————————-
Christian education has three goals: the development of content, character, and competencies — “the three Cs”. Content means you leave TTC enriched, knowing more than when you arrived. Character means you develop morally and spiritually. Competencies means you grow in ministerial and academic abilities. We could say the goal is to leave TTC better able to prepare, preach, pray, praise, and practice righteousness.
When you enter TTC, you see a sign, “Enter to learn - go forth to serve”. What a great motto! But what do you find when you step onto the grounds of TTC? You actually leave the surrounding culture and enter another world — that of the world academy. There was an ancient academy in Africa at Alexandria, Egypt. The modern academy developed in the West but has become a world-wide phenomenon and standard for learning. Entering the academy is like initiation into a tribe, with its own rites and rules of association. You have to follow the rules and conventions to be a member in good standing.
The academy differs in important ways from the education you may have received to this point. For example, rather than rote learning based on memorization and recitation, the academy values critical thinking, independent thought, and the formulation of arguments based on evidence and reasoning. Rather than viewing students as passive recipients of knowledge, they are viewed as active participants in the learning process. You are a fledgling scholar with something important to say — we call this “voice”; you are a potential contributor to knowledge. Just think. Where would we be today if Martin Luther had been a passive learner and not an active scholar whose voice thundered in the 95 theses?
In the academy we learn more than just “facts”; if our teachers do their job right, we learn how to think, how to reason, how to judge and weigh evidence, how to evaluate alleged “facts”. As students, we learn first, as we read, to “listen” and then, as we write, to “speak” (cf. Elihu in Job). We develop our academic “voice” and make our own contribution to the academy.
How do you acquire knowledge now? For example, how have you acquired your particular beliefs regarding baptism, e.g., immersion or sprinkling; believer’s or infant, regenerative, symbolic, or something in-between? You may believe what you believe because your parents told you, your pastor told you, or because “the Bible teaches it”. You may have been influenced by an important book you read. If you believe because of what your pastor or parents told you, your beliefs are based on trusted authority. This is not a bad thing; in fact, most of what we believe is based on this, one way or another. But the academy’s goal is to develop our thinking skills further. What if one person was told one thing and another person told something different? How do we judge? The academy’s response is to develop in us what is called critical thinking.
So, take the issue of baptism. How could we go about formulating our beliefs on baptism? We could read and study the Bible carefully, practicing good hermeneutics and sound exegesis. We could study church history. We could reason about the issue. For example, we might reason “God honors free will and infant baptism violates this principle”. Or, we might reason, “the offspring of Christian parents are privileged and declared holy in Scripture; this privilege and holy status is expressed in infant baptism”. Or, we could reason, we are helpless in sin, God has to save us, and he does so through the rite of baptism. We have to be careful about reason — it can take us in different directions. So, in the academy, of which TTC is an honorable member, we learn not just facts, but how to think, how to reason, how to sift, how to weigh, and, ultimately, how to decide what we believe. The assignments we are given are designed to help develop these skills in us.
Christian education has three goals: the development of content, character, and competencies — “the three Cs”. Content means you leave TTC enriched, knowing more than when you arrived. Character means you develop morally and spiritually. Competencies means you grow in ministerial and academic abilities. We could say the goal is to leave TTC better able to prepare, preach, pray, praise, and practice righteousness.
When you enter TTC, you see a sign, “Enter to learn - go forth to serve”. What a great motto! But what do you find when you step onto the grounds of TTC? You actually leave the surrounding culture and enter another world — that of the world academy. There was an ancient academy in Africa at Alexandria, Egypt. The modern academy developed in the West but has become a world-wide phenomenon and standard for learning. Entering the academy is like initiation into a tribe, with its own rites and rules of association. You have to follow the rules and conventions to be a member in good standing.
The academy differs in important ways from the education you may have received to this point. For example, rather than rote learning based on memorization and recitation, the academy values critical thinking, independent thought, and the formulation of arguments based on evidence and reasoning. Rather than viewing students as passive recipients of knowledge, they are viewed as active participants in the learning process. You are a fledgling scholar with something important to say — we call this “voice”; you are a potential contributor to knowledge. Just think. Where would we be today if Martin Luther had been a passive learner and not an active scholar whose voice thundered in the 95 theses?
In the academy we learn more than just “facts”; if our teachers do their job right, we learn how to think, how to reason, how to judge and weigh evidence, how to evaluate alleged “facts”. As students, we learn first, as we read, to “listen” and then, as we write, to “speak” (cf. Elihu in Job). We develop our academic “voice” and make our own contribution to the academy.
How do you acquire knowledge now? For example, how have you acquired your particular beliefs regarding baptism, e.g., immersion or sprinkling; believer’s or infant, regenerative, symbolic, or something in-between? You may believe what you believe because your parents told you, your pastor told you, or because “the Bible teaches it”. You may have been influenced by an important book you read. If you believe because of what your pastor or parents told you, your beliefs are based on trusted authority. This is not a bad thing; in fact, most of what we believe is based on this, one way or another. But the academy’s goal is to develop our thinking skills further. What if one person was told one thing and another person told something different? How do we judge? The academy’s response is to develop in us what is called critical thinking.
So, take the issue of baptism. How could we go about formulating our beliefs on baptism? We could read and study the Bible carefully, practicing good hermeneutics and sound exegesis. We could study church history. We could reason about the issue. For example, we might reason “God honors free will and infant baptism violates this principle”. Or, we might reason, “the offspring of Christian parents are privileged and declared holy in Scripture; this privilege and holy status is expressed in infant baptism”. Or, we could reason, we are helpless in sin, God has to save us, and he does so through the rite of baptism. We have to be careful about reason — it can take us in different directions. So, in the academy, of which TTC is an honorable member, we learn not just facts, but how to think, how to reason, how to sift, how to weigh, and, ultimately, how to decide what we believe. The assignments we are given are designed to help develop these skills in us.
The academy is divided into various branches of learning. There are the sciences i.e., physics,
chemistry, biology, as well as the social sciences dealing with human behavior. The primary sciences
of physics, chemistry, and biology have been tremendously successful in the past 300 years mastering
nature, with the results seen in things like life-saving medicines, airplanes, laptops and cell phones.
There is philosophy, which is concerned with ideas about what life is all about, and what it means to
be a good person living a good life. There is theology, which deals with the knowledge of God and its implications for our lives. Christian theology is rooted in a holy book, the Bible, and the role of the Holy Spirit in believers’
lives.
Each academic discipline has its own internal “rules” and ways of thinking and expressing ideas using a distinctive vocabulary. Each discipline, if followed, results in a “trained mind”. At TTC, you develop in theology and are exposed to philosophy and the social sciences.
The academy may be thought of as an academic apprenticeship school, with you as the apprentice scholar, practicing the required skills. A student book review is similar to a book review found online, in a church magazine, or in an academic journal. An essay is like a journal article. A thesis compares with the thesis you write at the master’s or doctor’s level. So, think of yourself as apprentice scholars as well as ministers-in-training.
Writing assignments such as essays and book reviews are designed to help develop and measure your growing critical thinking and writing skills. During the course of four years at TTC you may write 40 or more essays or book reports/reviews. Your four years should be a progression; you should aim to get better with every essay you write and every exam you take. You should make a goal to improve your reading, critical thinking, writing, grammar, and spelling as you move through the program at TTC.
Spelling and Vocabulary. Correct spelling is evidence of a clear, attentive mind and is a way of communicating your status as a developing scholar to others. Vocabulary is another asset. Not everyone can be rich in kwatcha, but everyone can be rich in vocabulary if they work at it — and someone rich in vocabulary is a powerful person.
Academic Formats. The academy has general expectations regarding the format that essays and book reports take. Each local academy (such as TTC) has its own particular standards, and individual instructors may have their own standards as well. Part of the culture of the academy is that work be submitted in the proper form and follows the rules, e.g., for referencing sources. Doing this ensures you will be a member in good standing of the academic tribe. TTC follows the MLA style of formatting. If you need to, consult an MLA style guide in the TTC library.
Referencing. Over the years the academy has developed a method for acknowledging the contributions of past scholars and writers and for differentiating between the current writer’s thoughts, ideas, and writings and those of previous writers. The method is called referencing or citing (these words are synonymous). TTC follows the MLA style of referencing.
Each academic discipline has its own internal “rules” and ways of thinking and expressing ideas using a distinctive vocabulary. Each discipline, if followed, results in a “trained mind”. At TTC, you develop in theology and are exposed to philosophy and the social sciences.
The academy may be thought of as an academic apprenticeship school, with you as the apprentice scholar, practicing the required skills. A student book review is similar to a book review found online, in a church magazine, or in an academic journal. An essay is like a journal article. A thesis compares with the thesis you write at the master’s or doctor’s level. So, think of yourself as apprentice scholars as well as ministers-in-training.
Writing assignments such as essays and book reviews are designed to help develop and measure your growing critical thinking and writing skills. During the course of four years at TTC you may write 40 or more essays or book reports/reviews. Your four years should be a progression; you should aim to get better with every essay you write and every exam you take. You should make a goal to improve your reading, critical thinking, writing, grammar, and spelling as you move through the program at TTC.
Spelling and Vocabulary. Correct spelling is evidence of a clear, attentive mind and is a way of communicating your status as a developing scholar to others. Vocabulary is another asset. Not everyone can be rich in kwatcha, but everyone can be rich in vocabulary if they work at it — and someone rich in vocabulary is a powerful person.
Academic Formats. The academy has general expectations regarding the format that essays and book reports take. Each local academy (such as TTC) has its own particular standards, and individual instructors may have their own standards as well. Part of the culture of the academy is that work be submitted in the proper form and follows the rules, e.g., for referencing sources. Doing this ensures you will be a member in good standing of the academic tribe. TTC follows the MLA style of formatting. If you need to, consult an MLA style guide in the TTC library.
Referencing. Over the years the academy has developed a method for acknowledging the contributions of past scholars and writers and for differentiating between the current writer’s thoughts, ideas, and writings and those of previous writers. The method is called referencing or citing (these words are synonymous). TTC follows the MLA style of referencing.
There are two parts to referencing. The first is to create a Works Cited list at the end of your paper that
lists all the sources you consulted and used. The second is to provide in-text parenthetical citations in
the body of your paper at every point where you use another author’s words or ideas. As participating
members of the world-wide academy, you are expected to follow its referencing standards. Failure to do so is considered sloppy work, and deliberately failing to do so is viewed as a
serious violation known as plagiarism.
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious issue around the world, including Africa. Too many careless or dishonest students are copy/pasting material and presenting it as their own when it is not. This violates the biblical command against bearing false witness, and is to be entirely avoided at a Christian college. When done intentionally, it is considered as serious as cheating on tests.
Doing Honest Work. As Christians, we should form the intent to do honest work the moment we enter the academy. If you have never thought about this, or never done so, do so now. If you have done so in the past, I would encourage you to renew your commitment to do honest work throughout college and beyond.
Concluding Thoughts. The academy is a time away from your ministry or professional context. It is like a retreat — a time to learn, reflect, absorb, develop, and then go back into your particular context. “Enter to learn — go forth to serve”. May you enjoy your time at the academy, growing in grace and abilities, and be blessed by God!
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious issue around the world, including Africa. Too many careless or dishonest students are copy/pasting material and presenting it as their own when it is not. This violates the biblical command against bearing false witness, and is to be entirely avoided at a Christian college. When done intentionally, it is considered as serious as cheating on tests.
Doing Honest Work. As Christians, we should form the intent to do honest work the moment we enter the academy. If you have never thought about this, or never done so, do so now. If you have done so in the past, I would encourage you to renew your commitment to do honest work throughout college and beyond.
Concluding Thoughts. The academy is a time away from your ministry or professional context. It is like a retreat — a time to learn, reflect, absorb, develop, and then go back into your particular context. “Enter to learn — go forth to serve”. May you enjoy your time at the academy, growing in grace and abilities, and be blessed by God!
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
NYT Article: The Cost of Relativism
A prescient NYT article on the moral vacuum in America and the high cost of non-judgmentalism.
Roughly 10 percent of the children born to college grads grow up in single-parent households. Nearly 70 percent of children born to high school grads do…. High-school-educated parents dine with their children less than college-educated parents, read to them less, talk to them less, take them to church less, encourage them less and spend less time engaging in developmental activity."The health of society is primarily determined by the habits and virtues of its citizens."
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