Weekly Email: October 14, 2024
It’s been such a blessing hearing back from many of you over the course of these emails. If I haven’t responded back to you, your email is set aside for me to write back this week. These past couple weeks have been quite busy and I’m still in catch up mode. I love hearing from you so keep the emails coming!
Topics included in this week’s email:
Student Tip: Reading Strategies for Seminary
Program News: Sabbaticals
Faculty Devotional: Dr. Timothy Beougher
Student Tip: Reading Strategies for Seminary
When I first started my MDiv back in 2011, I was in for a surprise. Transitioning from an accounting degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to the world of theological studies at Southern Seminary was no small feat. Gone were the days of bullet points, charts, and succinct data presentations. Instead, I faced dense theological texts and academic writing that demanded a different approach.
In seminary, reading required a transformation. Before classes began, I leisurely picked up my favorite books, savoring each page, looking up references, jotting handwritten notes, and marking passages. This method worked when time was abundant. But juggling four or five classes, a stack of over a dozen books per semester, a new marriage, and a part-time job demanded a change in strategy. Side note: I thought I was busy as a newlywed but now 13 years later as a father and more responsibilities I realize how much time I still actually had!
Here’s what I learned about reading efficiently in seminary:
Understand the Purpose of Your Reading
Not all reading assignments are created equal. If you’re preparing a book review, your approach will differ from reading a supplemental text without a major assignment attached. Clarify the goal of each reading task to tailor your strategy effectively.
Set Clear Reading Goals and Schedule Time
To manage the workload, I had to be intentional. Break down your reading into manageable chunks and allocate specific times in your schedule. This discipline ensures steady progress and prevents last-minute cramming.
Give Up Lengthy Notes
Initially, I spent more time on notes than on reading itself. While detailed notes are useful, they can also be time-consuming. I found the annotated bibliography method to be sustainable. After finishing a book, summarize its thesis and main arguments in 3–5 sentences. This post-reading reflection solidifies your understanding and is efficient. I’ve changed my note taking strategies many times over the years but at the end of the day, less is more.
Reading in seminary is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to evolve. Be patient with yourself as you adapt your reading habits to meet the demands of this new academic environment.
If you’re interested in more strategies for seminary reading, let me know. I’m considering developing resources to support students like you. Feel free to share your questions, effective strategies, or any other thoughts you have.
Program News: Sabbaticals
Each semester, a few of our faculty members take a sabbatical. This break from teaching allows them to focus on research, writing, course development, or other professional growth activities for an entire semester.
If you notice that a particular professor isn’t teaching during a semester, it’s likely because they are on sabbatical, possibly working on a writing project. This spring, Dr. Tyler Flatt, Dr. Jim Hamilton, and Dr. Andrew Walker will be on sabbatical through the summer.
Faculty Devotional: Dr. Timothy Beougher
This week’s faculty devotional is from Dr. Timothy Beougher, Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth and is a reflection on 1 John 3:1.
The King James Version translates that first word as “behold.” Some of you will remember the 1970’s chorus based on this verse: “Behold What Manner of Love the Father Has Given Unto Us.”
We don’t use the word “behold” very often today. Most Bible versions translate that word as simply “look” or “see.” But John is calling for more than a casual glance here. It is “see” followed by several exclamation marks! John is saying, Behold! Look! Pay attention!
Think about the man who says to us “Pay Attention to this!” John was part of Jesus’ inner circle. Of the disciples, only John was present at the cross. John ran to the empty tomb first. John is described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” In 1 John 1 he writes about “the things we have heard, seen with our eyes, touched with our hands” and in John 1he testified, “we beheld His glory.”
John is now saying, there is something I want you to see. He is almost shouting, You have to see this! For a man who had that much experience to be that excited about showing something to us, it must be really special!
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us
Understand the kind of love the Father has loved us with!
“what great love” – the word translated “what great” here (“what manner”) is used only seven times in the New Testament. It literally means, “of what country?”
The love of God is so unparalleled in human experience that John cannot even fathom from what country it comes! It is beyond human experience! The word always conveys astonishment! It is a word the disciples used in about our Lord in Matthew 8:27, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”
God’s love is so vast, so great, it is unlike anything else in this world. It amazes and creates wonder within those who properly reflect on it.
Reflect deeply on God’s love today – and let your heart overflow with wonder and praise.
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and check in next Monday. You can find an archive of each week’s email here.
