Comments on: Ideas Have Consequences: The Place of the Liberal Arts within a Theological Education, Part 2 http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/09/18/ideas-have-consequences-the-place-of-the-liberal-arts-within-a-theological-education-part-2/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:32:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mike http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/09/18/ideas-have-consequences-the-place-of-the-liberal-arts-within-a-theological-education-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-17889 Mike Fri, 29 Oct 2010 21:05:59 +0000 http://betweenthetimes.com/?p=1082#comment-17889 Dr. Gravely, I know this blog is dated, but I hope you have an opportunity to read this post. I am a student at SEBTS and my lovely bride is in the undergrad. She and I LOVE the HOI program she is in. I have previously read many of the HOI books on my own, but most of it was from self-learning and not from my Biblical Studies undergrad. I have found that the majority of seminary students have not read anything close to the HOI material and (sticking with your argument) have difficulty understanding the works of Aquinas, Calvin, and Edwards because of it. Therefore, my proposal is, could SEBTS offer some form of HOI classis for master level students that did not receive a classical education? Maybe an overview class or even something over 2 classes that interacts with the first handwritings. I will more than likely have graduated by that point, but if it were offered on-line, I would take it! Mike Dr. Gravely,
I know this blog is dated, but I hope you have an opportunity to read this post. I am a student at SEBTS and my lovely bride is in the undergrad. She and I LOVE the HOI program she is in. I have previously read many of the HOI books on my own, but most of it was from self-learning and not from my Biblical Studies undergrad. I have found that the majority of seminary students have not read anything close to the HOI material and (sticking with your argument) have difficulty understanding the works of Aquinas, Calvin, and Edwards because of it. Therefore, my proposal is, could SEBTS offer some form of HOI classis for master level students that did not receive a classical education? Maybe an overview class or even something over 2 classes that interacts with the first handwritings. I will more than likely have graduated by that point, but if it were offered on-line, I would take it!
Mike

]]> By: Friday Top Blogs « A Word of Grace http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/09/18/ideas-have-consequences-the-place-of-the-liberal-arts-within-a-theological-education-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6167 Friday Top Blogs « A Word of Grace Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:26:41 +0000 http://betweenthetimes.com/?p=1082#comment-6167 [...] Ideas Have Consequences: The Place of the Liberal Arts within a Theological Education, Part 2 by Ed Gravely on Between the Times [...] [...] Ideas Have Consequences: The Place of the Liberal Arts within a Theological Education, Part 2 by Ed Gravely on Between the Times [...]

]]> By: A. Battah http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/09/18/ideas-have-consequences-the-place-of-the-liberal-arts-within-a-theological-education-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-5889 A. Battah Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:03:15 +0000 http://betweenthetimes.com/?p=1082#comment-5889 "Though Christian theology is derived from God’s word, it isn’t formulated in a vacuum." Thank you Dr. Gravely. “Though Christian theology is derived from God’s word, it isn’t formulated in a vacuum.”

Thank you Dr. Gravely.

]]> By: Chris Krycho http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/09/18/ideas-have-consequences-the-place-of-the-liberal-arts-within-a-theological-education-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-5746 Chris Krycho Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:33:19 +0000 http://betweenthetimes.com/?p=1082#comment-5746 Good points, and I think the one that struck me most profoundly was the reference to language. As I've studied both Spanish and Greek, I've been repeatedly struck by how deeply our language influences our thoughts, and vice versa. That's true even on a smaller scale within the context of one's native language: the vocabulary we use and read will shape our manner of thinking as well as the concepts we're capable of thinking about. Following that forward a step: it's very difficult to see the biases of one's own language without learning all the nuance and complexity and impossibilities of another. It's only after studying two other languages that I'm starting to really grasp both the power and limitations of English. Likewise, I think we can miss both the strengths and weaknesses - blindnesses, even - of our own mental frameworks if we don't take time to carefully look at others. The ancients were not stupid people, and I fear our "temporal elitism" has done us a great disservice insofar as we think we're smarter and wiser simply by dint of being later in history. In reality, the world of ideas has changed - but not so much that the debate between Plato and Aristotle isn't still being echoed in philosophy today. Ideas and worldview have to be analyzed carefully, but like language they're hard to see without seeing others as well. Good points, and I think the one that struck me most profoundly was the reference to language. As I’ve studied both Spanish and Greek, I’ve been repeatedly struck by how deeply our language influences our thoughts, and vice versa. That’s true even on a smaller scale within the context of one’s native language: the vocabulary we use and read will shape our manner of thinking as well as the concepts we’re capable of thinking about. Following that forward a step: it’s very difficult to see the biases of one’s own language without learning all the nuance and complexity and impossibilities of another. It’s only after studying two other languages that I’m starting to really grasp both the power and limitations of English.

Likewise, I think we can miss both the strengths and weaknesses – blindnesses, even – of our own mental frameworks if we don’t take time to carefully look at others. The ancients were not stupid people, and I fear our “temporal elitism” has done us a great disservice insofar as we think we’re smarter and wiser simply by dint of being later in history. In reality, the world of ideas has changed – but not so much that the debate between Plato and Aristotle isn’t still being echoed in philosophy today. Ideas and worldview have to be analyzed carefully, but like language they’re hard to see without seeing others as well.

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