Cool classes

I had about resigned myself to spending all summer learning Hebrew. I wasn't thrilled about it - mostly b/c I am freaking tired, and 10 more weeks of class right on the heels of this year sounds like it would do me in. But there didn't seem to be anything else to take, and I might as well get Hebrew over with. Plus I could take it from the person that everyone recommends to take (Haney, for you curious Fuller folk), and then in the fall, if it goes through, I could take Isaiah with Goldingay (though last I checked he still didn't know if that was a go).

So today I went looking at the classes just to see what there was to choose from. And wouldn't you know I found some really cool stuff. Now it's all 2-week, which is not my preferred learning timeframe. I find it to be way too intense - bulemia learning. Not good for retention. But I could possibly make an exception.

One is that Merold Westphal is teaching philosophical hermeneutics. Pretty great opportunity. And another is a prof from Andover Newton teaching on World Religions - and the required books are actually scholarly texts on the religions, not Christian evangelistic tripe. That would be fun - from what I can see, he doesn't seem to be all about conversion. He says the goal is to learn empathetically about other faiths.

And then finally my bud Francis Bridger is teaching a class called "Learning from Anglicanism" which I have to say just makes all my little Anglican senses go tingly. What fun - finally we can show this campus why we're the best! OK, that's probably not the goal. But there is a lot we bring to the table, and Fuller people are just plain ignorant about the Anglican/Episcopal church (as was I, in all fairness, before joining it - and as are many Episcopalians, for that matter!). There's so much rich stuff to mine in worship, theology, even polity. So I don't want to pay for the class, but if I do the other two then I'd definitely audit it.

So now I'm thinking I might throw myself into these other classes - both are 2 week and VERY intense. Not just b/c of the timeframe, but looking at the book and assignment lists, I say, Yikes. They are going to be serious work. But why not keep working at that higher level - find out if I'm really cut out for academics? Plus I get so bored in the regular paced classes at Fuller, and even with the 2-weekers, because they're often dumbed down.

Plus, if I do the two 2-weeks, I'll get August and September off (except for writing papers). Some good time to figure out what the hell I want to do about a PhD, no?