Weekly Email: April 28, 2025
This past week we welcomed nearly 100 online students to Louisville for our Spring 2 Experiential Modular. It was a joy to meet many of you in person, watch friendships develop, witness meaningful mentorship from our faculty, and enjoy some of Louisville’s best food.
I’ll share more highlights next week, but in the meantime, our Fall Experiential Modulars are now open for registration. Sign up here. If you have any questions about these events, just reply to this email.
Southern recently released a video featuring Timothy O’Day, an MDiv graduate who completed his degree online, just like you. Timothy is now a church planter in Salt Lake City, a place he describes as “a beautiful place, but also a very dark place, where 98% of the population is lost.” Timothy’s faithful gospel work encouraged me greatly, and I’m confident it will inspire you too. Watch Timothy’s story here.
In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find:
Student Tip: Is listening to an audiobook really “reading”? I explore insights from recent research, along with practical tips.
Program News: A brand new English exegesis course on the Gospel of Luke, taught by Dr. Bill Cook.
Student Tip: Reading With Your Ears
There is a long-standing debate about whether listening to an audiobook should count as reading, or as I like to say, “reading with your ears.” This even came up during our most recent Experiential Modular, where we had some friendly banter about whether audiobooks should count in your annual reading list. Personally, I’m firmly in the camp that audiobooks should count as reading. However, I’m also realistic enough to acknowledge that the difference in modalities creates distinct experiences. In fact, I intentionally choose certain books to “read with my ears” versus “reading with my eyes.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you complete our one-question poll (closes next Monday morning), you’ll be entered to win Dr. Wellum’s book, The Person of Christ: An Introduction.
What Does the Science Say?
Recent research provides fascinating insights into how our brains process reading versus listening:
Similar Semantic Processing: Studies using functional MRI scans reveal that reading and listening activate nearly identical neural networks for understanding meaning. Researchers at UC Berkeley demonstrated through brain imaging that both modalities engage the brain’s semantic networks similarly.
Equivalent but Slightly Varied Comprehension Outcomes: A 2016 study found no significant difference in immediate comprehension and retention between reading, listening, or using both methods simultaneously. However, some research suggests subtle differences, particularly when tasks require detailed recall or critical analysis, with reading offering slight advantages due to easier navigation (rereading and scanning back through text).
Modality-Specific Brain Activation: Reading tends to activate more left-lateralized areas, including those involved in visual word recognition, while listening engages broader bilateral temporal regions responsible for auditory processing.
Active vs. Passive Engagement: Listening is sometimes perceived as passive because the narrator controls pacing, potentially reducing engagement with the book. Visual reading inherently involves active processes like scanning, pausing, rereading, and annotating that can reinforce comprehension and retention.
Practical Recommendations for You as a Student
Given these insights, here’s how you might strategically choose your reading modality:
Deep Analysis for Book Reviews or Complex Assignments: Opt for printed or digital texts. Annotation, rereading, and pausing facilitate deeper understanding and analysis.
General Comprehension Tasks or Short Summaries and Quizzes: Audiobooks can work effectively if you’re listening in an environment free from distractions.
Be Aware of Distractions: Reading with your ears is more prone to distractions, so you’ll need to work harder to pay attention.
Program News: Dive Deep into Luke’s Gospel with Dr. Bill Cook
Dr. Bill Cook shared a powerful testimony in chapel this week about how God transformed him from a grieving, unchurched teenager into a faithful pastor and beloved professor at Southern Seminary.
Why it matters:
Dr. Cook has invested more than 20 years mentoring students to love Christ, understand Scripture, and lead with humility. This summer, for the first time, he’s teaching a brand new English exegesis course on The Gospel of Luke, giving you the opportunity to learn directly from his pastoral wisdom and deep experience.
Don’t miss this unique chance to equip yourself to engage Scripture deeply and lead others faithfully.
That's all for this week! You can browse past emails in the archive or explore Course Snapshots to find textbooks, course descriptions, and details about what we offer online.
