What Has Eric To Do With Athens?
“The greatest fool may ask more than the wisest man can answer.” ~Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832)
I’m through three days of orientation here in Oxford; it has been long and grueling. Long sessions on tutorials, seminars, and getting acquainted with the British academia, interspersed with tea time (I remain truly American and drink only coffee), has left me somewhat exhausted and looking forward to the calmer evenings. I feel intimidated by the minds in this place, yet hopeful that God has me in this place for a purpose.
Today, we met in our Integrative Seminar groups. Here at Oxford, the school system functions quite differently then what I’m used to in the States. The Oxford school year is divided into three terms: Hilary, Trinity, and Michaelmas.
Students attend lectures, but they are more just ramblings on whatever the professor wants to talk about concerning a certain subject. There isn’t really discussion or interaction in these lectures, no commitment by the students to attend the lectures, and oftentimes by end of term very few students are still sitting in. Students then meet with tutors, who, having assigned a certain question or reading for the week, discuss one-on-one with the student what they have read and wrote. Our work here is much more independent, and looks to be much more intense and focused (hence the terms are only 8 weeks long).
My requirements for this semester will be a Primary Tutorial worth 6 credits in Philosophical Theology, a Secondary Tutorial on C.S. Lewis in context worth 3 credits, an Integrative Seminar worth 4 credits, and a British Landscapes course worth 4 credits. The Seminar and Landscapes course do not really kick into gear until the 8-week term is complete, but throughout the term we will have minor commitments to both “classes.”
Since my major is Philosophy, I signed up for the Philosophy Integrative Seminar. It is a group of roughly 15 students and one professor. The first day was a bit more laid back, a “get-to-know-ya” type of vibe, but it was nonetheless intimidating. I felt like a young freshmen, stepping into unfamiliar territory. The teacher’s first discussion was centered on exploring and agreeing with a quote by John Locke alum of Oxford) which reads “Reason must be our last Judge and Guide in every Thing.” Coming out of a Reformed tradition where Scripture is the last Judge and Guide in every thing, I immediately felt queasy. Not wanting to show my hand too quickly, I only vaguely hinted at the fact that there may be other legitimate ways to explore the nature of God and man’s faculties of reason without saying reason is ultimate. Instead, I just got the feel for the group and pondered my own thoughts and convictions.
I have found that so far, the group of students in this program are very intelligent. They seem to be well-read and knowledgeable in not only their own fields, but in other fields as well. However, not all of them, but a lot of them exhibit signs of pride. One thing that my education has taught me, maybe the only thing, is that I know so little about the world. I’m a philosophy major, and I probably could tell you two things about what Kant asserted in his worldview. I don’t think this is the fault of my professors, nor the fault of my inability or lack of desire to know. I just think there are so many things to know in the world, that oftentimes it’s overwhelming and a cause to stand back and recognize my own insufficiency.
Well, in a brief hour and a half a lot of name-dropping went on (saying names of philosophers to impress the teacher and other students), most of whom I hadn’t heard of, which is usually the case. But I remain confident in what the Lord has graciously given me. I often find myself praying for insight, knowledge, and wisdom in my studies, but I always ask God to first and foremost give me humility. I am thankful that He has given me this incredible opportunity and my hope is that I will pursue my studies with diligence, integrity, and understanding, but that ultimately I will be humble, realizing from Whom all wisdom, reason and understanding comes.
I’m through three days of orientation here in Oxford; it has been long and grueling. Long sessions on tutorials, seminars, and getting acquainted with the British academia, interspersed with tea time (I remain truly American and drink only coffee), has left me somewhat exhausted and looking forward to the calmer evenings. I feel intimidated by the minds in this place, yet hopeful that God has me in this place for a purpose.
Today, we met in our Integrative Seminar groups. Here at Oxford, the school system functions quite differently then what I’m used to in the States. The Oxford school year is divided into three terms: Hilary, Trinity, and Michaelmas.
Students attend lectures, but they are more just ramblings on whatever the professor wants to talk about concerning a certain subject. There isn’t really discussion or interaction in these lectures, no commitment by the students to attend the lectures, and oftentimes by end of term very few students are still sitting in. Students then meet with tutors, who, having assigned a certain question or reading for the week, discuss one-on-one with the student what they have read and wrote. Our work here is much more independent, and looks to be much more intense and focused (hence the terms are only 8 weeks long).
My requirements for this semester will be a Primary Tutorial worth 6 credits in Philosophical Theology, a Secondary Tutorial on C.S. Lewis in context worth 3 credits, an Integrative Seminar worth 4 credits, and a British Landscapes course worth 4 credits. The Seminar and Landscapes course do not really kick into gear until the 8-week term is complete, but throughout the term we will have minor commitments to both “classes.”
Since my major is Philosophy, I signed up for the Philosophy Integrative Seminar. It is a group of roughly 15 students and one professor. The first day was a bit more laid back, a “get-to-know-ya” type of vibe, but it was nonetheless intimidating. I felt like a young freshmen, stepping into unfamiliar territory. The teacher’s first discussion was centered on exploring and agreeing with a quote by John Locke alum of Oxford) which reads “Reason must be our last Judge and Guide in every Thing.” Coming out of a Reformed tradition where Scripture is the last Judge and Guide in every thing, I immediately felt queasy. Not wanting to show my hand too quickly, I only vaguely hinted at the fact that there may be other legitimate ways to explore the nature of God and man’s faculties of reason without saying reason is ultimate. Instead, I just got the feel for the group and pondered my own thoughts and convictions.
I have found that so far, the group of students in this program are very intelligent. They seem to be well-read and knowledgeable in not only their own fields, but in other fields as well. However, not all of them, but a lot of them exhibit signs of pride. One thing that my education has taught me, maybe the only thing, is that I know so little about the world. I’m a philosophy major, and I probably could tell you two things about what Kant asserted in his worldview. I don’t think this is the fault of my professors, nor the fault of my inability or lack of desire to know. I just think there are so many things to know in the world, that oftentimes it’s overwhelming and a cause to stand back and recognize my own insufficiency.
Well, in a brief hour and a half a lot of name-dropping went on (saying names of philosophers to impress the teacher and other students), most of whom I hadn’t heard of, which is usually the case. But I remain confident in what the Lord has graciously given me. I often find myself praying for insight, knowledge, and wisdom in my studies, but I always ask God to first and foremost give me humility. I am thankful that He has given me this incredible opportunity and my hope is that I will pursue my studies with diligence, integrity, and understanding, but that ultimately I will be humble, realizing from Whom all wisdom, reason and understanding comes.
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