Divinity student? Fundamentalist? Hmm

The University of Wales, Trinity Saint David

1. Dr. Russ Murray

September 3

This morning via the postgraduate department, my internal reviewer confirmed he agrees with the external reviewer that my post-viva PhD revisions are acceptable and that I have passed the PhD research thesis and am now a Doctor.

I will await the proper paperwork by regular mail, but email confirmation shall suffice for now.

This has been a long process for which I started with the University in 2004 and have gone through three advisors.

But it is a valuable degree with two stamps. The second stamp is from Wales, Trinity Saint David, which is a new University which is in existence by a merger with the University of Wales, Lampeter, and Trinity University College. I am currently with the Lampeter campus (distance learning), but actually started with Wales at Trinity University, although I have not physically been to the campus.

The merger has slowed up the processing of my Doctorate, but I am pleased with my result.

Trinity Saint David link



Rankings related to Wales, Lampeter, my campus.

Wales, Lampeter Rankings link

'May 2009

In the most recent Complete University Guide published in association with The Independent newspaper, the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at the University of Wales Lampeter was ranked 13th in the UK.'

'In December 2008, the Research Institute for Theology & Religious Studies was rated 9th in the UK for its research strength by Research Fortnight magazine in its RAE 2008 Analysis Power Rankings.'

'Then in February (2009), The Guardian newspaper placed the Department in first position in the UK for the number of postgraduate distance learning students.'

The first stamp is from The University of Wales in Cardiff. Wales is a series of accredited Universities, including Trinity Saint David and is affiliated with Cardiff University. With 100, 000 students the University of Wales would be one of the largest Universities in the United Kingdom.

My first advisor at Wales stated it was the second largest in the UK.

My thinking is that Wales, Lampeter has a high ranking on its own, and this should be boosted by the merger. So, with the second stamp from Wales, Trinity Saint David I have done well.

With the Wales first stamp it is less specific to my degree but the size of the institution does carry much credibility.

I started at Manchester, but this degree is just as valuable. I could have spent months working on passing a GRE (general knowledge test) and signed with Cambridge, but for Theology and Philosophy of Religion, although Cambridge is more famous than Wales, I doubt my CV would be boosted by a Cambridge degree over Wales. The level of work would be identical and Wales is very well-known in my field.

My preferences were London, Cambridge, Durham, Oxford, Wales, Edinburgh, Sheffield and Manchester and I received two research degrees from Wales, and so with God's help I succeeded.

University of Wales link



Now I can upgrade my Curriculum Vitae properly and start the process of looking for employment as a professor, worldwide. This will be much work.

Thanks for all the support, and comments appreciated if you feel so led.

2. Divinity student? Fundamentalist? Hmm

August 31

As some of you may have realized, as well as continuing my education in theology, philosophy of religion and Biblical studies, I also dabble with psychology. I actually took some psychology courses for my degrees.

Desiring a diverse education, I emailed a secular psychologist and businessman a few months ago. He was friendly, somewhat helpful, quite intelligent, and claimed to be so, having worked in special capacities for governments. Now, I basically admitted his greater knowledge and intelligence in some areas by writing him and asking for his advice, even though overall, his formal education was less than mine.

But, in many ways, so what, academic degrees represent types of intelligence in certain areas only.

Although he had some good advice, two major red flags came up in our dialogue.

Now please realize I have worked within secular Religious Studies academia for over ten years and so I have developed a sensitivity with certain semantics.

One, although I clearly pointed out, listing my degrees, I was working within a secular University within the fields of Theology and Philosophy of Religion, concerning theodicy and the problem of evil, he stated that I was a 'Divinity' student. This as opposed to acknowledging me as a Theologian, and Philosopher or more accurately a Philosopher of Religion. I also provided my links to my theology blogs.

Importantly for context, our discussion was in regard to relationships and perceived intelligence, including social and academic intelligence and associated success.

My education was not viewed by him as having notable social status.

Please note, I am not being egotistical here, I realize although I am not typical I suppose, I am an average man in many ways. Perhaps most ways. This post is not primarily about me, but about worldviews.

Now, I realize semantics can be tricky, but in my mind anyway, a 'Divinity' student can be a brilliant academic, and certainly there are ones I can learn from. But typically it is someone studying to be a pastor, church worker or perhaps missionary, which are generally less academic endeavours. I did attend Canadian Baptist Seminary at Trinity Western University but did not take the M.DIV degree, but did the MTS degree.

For example from Loyola, at the University of Chicago, it describes their M.DIV degree.

Chicago

'The Master of Divinity (M.Div.), is a comprehensive degree designed to meet the educational needs of persons called to professional ministerial leadership. Those who elect to pursue this Master of Divinity degree are making a major commitment to prepare for pastoral ministry, choosing to join in the adventure of discerning their gifts and preparing themselves for a life of religious leadership in an evolving church and society.'

From my academic experience, I reason this is a typical description of a M.DIV.

I am not criticizing the intellectual ability of persons taking this degree, but this type of degree is not generally as academic as the MTS, or more so secular MPhil or PhD research only degrees.

Did perhaps this psychologist, not know the difference? Quite likely to some degree, but the red flag comes from his overall downplaying of Religious Studies.

Therefore:

My reasoning is that he views even the higher degrees in Religious Studies as simply glorified Divinity degrees. In other words, Theology and Philosophy of Religion are intellectually secondary as academic disciplines.

So, I kindly corrected the gentleman and pointed out his mistake via email.

There was no answer...which is typical in that type of situation.

I am reading too much into his view? Perhaps. Well, let us go to point two.

Two, he stated I needed to change the type of people that I wished to associate with in certain ways. He claimed that I should avoid certain relationships with fundamentalist Christians, in content seemingly as if all Bible-believing Christians were stereotypical American fundamentalists. Within the context he wrote, he labelled the fundamentalists as being naive in certain aspects. He did not state I was a fundamentalist.

Now, I can admit, certainly some fundamentalists will be naive in certain ways, as will some non-fundamentalists, but the red flag came up in basically labelling all Bible-believing Christians as stereotypical fundamentalists.

C.T. McIntire states that fundamentalism is a movement that arose after World War One in the United States which attempted to reaffirm orthodox Protestant theology and defend it against liberal theology. McIntire (1996: 433). Since then the movement has diversified as has its meanings. McIntire (1996: 433). Connections are made to non-academics that are leaders, such as the now late Jerry Falwell, Tim La Haye, Hal Lindsey and Pat Robertson. McIntire (1996: 435).

Now, I can admit that I, and certain Christian persons I could have actual or potential relationships with would to certain degrees share some of the views of American fundamentalism.

But, in reality, I and many of the Christian persons I could have actual or potential relationships with, are not American fundamentalists.

With me for example:

I am not American.
I was not educated in American fundamentalist or Christian institutions.
My early Christian education was via moderate liberal Christian Sunday school.
I am an academic educated in Canadian Christian institutions of a moderate conservative nature and secular British Universities that would be moderately liberal.
I am not culturally an American fundamentalist, but by years of study I am Christian, Reformed, and Evangelical, although also not culturally American Reformed or Evangelical.
My degrees and my writing topics concerning theodicy, the problem of evil, the nature of God, non-conformity to certain aspects of cultural Christianity and the need for critical thinking clearly place me outside of American fundamentalism in many ways.
I am a moderate conservative.

Now, was the psychologist aware of much of this? No, not likely.

Therefore:

The assumption appears to be Theology and Philosophy of Religion Studies are largely at least, based in fundamentalism and that these disciplines and all Religious Studies are intellectually secondary as disciplines.

In the same reply that I dealt with the Divinity issue, I dealt with the fundamentalism issue and of course received no reply.

I am misreading his views? That is possible, yes. But in my time in the UK, I realized sitting in some meetings that North American religious studies of any conservative nature were primarily written-off as fundamentalist and evangelical and therefore academically lightweight.

The kind of work supposed 'Divinity' students would do.

I reason the kind and intelligent psychologist was basically reasoning the same thing.

MCINTIRE, C.T. (1996) ‘Fundamentalism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

End

In this post are ten more of my favourite desktop photos from the last decade plus years.


Grand Canyon, Australia


Anse Couleuvre, France (trekearth.com)


Where is this?


Moezel, Germany (trekearth.com)


Fire Lake, BC (trekearth.com)


The University of Wales, Bangor. Where I earned my MPhil thesis degree. I have never set foot on campus or been in Bangor.


Cha Grande, Brazil (trekearth.com)


Bahia, Honda Bridge, South Florida (trekearth.com)


Maple Ridge, BC (thekingpin68)
My estate is on the right, Mr. Walter T. Franklin's house is down that road heading east.


Maple Ridge, BC (thekingpin68)
From my back window. Sometimes I pray while looking at that crooked Evergreen Tree. I am thinking of me, you, or both of us?;)