Last week with Written on Their Hearts: Writing, Worship, and Spiritual Formation in the Life of the Mind, Dr. Royce Francis began a new series on writing with a new format for the ESN blog, i.e., Masterclass. Like a Masterclass in music or performance, it provides the opportunity to learn skills from an expert, as well as exercises designed by that expert to help you deepen those skills in your own academic life. In this series, which will run for the length of the spring semester, he will weave together theological reflection and practical suggestions on becoming a skilled writer in general and within your field. He will also provide exercises each week to give readers a way to put the ideas in the series into practice. Join ESN for a Masterclass in writing. Questions and conversation are welcome—feel free to use the Comments section to express them, or email them to http://www.intervarsity.org/contact/emerging-scholars-network. [Read more…] about Writing Starts With Reading (Masterclass in Writing, Part 2)
Engineering
Written on Their Hearts: Writing, Worship, and Spiritual Formation in the Life of the Mind
We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Royce Francis in a new series on writing and a new format for the ESN blog. The new format is called Masterclass, and like a Masterclass in music or performance, it provides the opportunity to learn skills from an expert, as well as exercises designed by that expert to help you deepen those skills in your own academic life. Dr. Francis is Associate Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at the George Washington University, and he has extensive experience in writing and teaching writing to engineers. In this series, which will run for the length of the spring semester, he will weave together theological reflection and practical suggestions on becoming a skilled writer in general and within your field. He will also provide exercises each week to give readers a way to put the ideas in the series into practice. Join ESN for a Masterclass in writing this spring. Questions and conversation are welcome—feel free to use the Comments section to express them, or email them to http://www.intervarsity.org/contact/emerging-scholars-network. [Read more…] about Written on Their Hearts: Writing, Worship, and Spiritual Formation in the Life of the Mind
How Did You Do It? Faith and My Dissertation
Last fall, I defended my Ph.D. dissertation, and in May I attended my graduation at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus. My studies were challenging, especially since I was changing my discipline, from engineering to Science and Technology Studies (STS), which is built around a core of history, sociology, and philosophy. Fortunately, I had some advantages as a “non-traditional†student. First, I was accustomed to research and writing after a long, successful career as an engineer. Second, my STS interests ran deep. And finally, I had strong support from my wife and family. With God’s grace, I did not find the work to be impossible. The greatest stress resulted from my own decision—against the advice of my adviser—to take a job in 2014 teaching and helping to start a new engineering program (whew!) before I finished my dissertation. I am glad that my Ph.D. quest is over, and I look to God for how to best use my expanded education for His glory.
Friends have noted that Christian theology is at the heart of my dissertation, and they wonder how my work was received at a secular university. They seem interested in how I “got away†with proclaiming the Christian gospel in the course of my studies. How can I explain my success in what is assumed to be a hostile environment?
With few exceptions, my engineering experiences were free of conflicts of faith. Still, I grew interested in the place of technology in God’s plan. I remain concerned that endless debates over human origins distract us from considering what Christ would have us do in the present as we help shape the future. With this interest, I began taking STS classes part time during my last two years of engineering work.
Early on in my studies, I was surprised and pleased to learn that Christianity is broadly recognized as an important factor in the scientific revolution. This begged the question of why some segments of the Church are so distrustful of science, while accepting its fruits in medicine and technology without question. I looked for a dissertation topic that would highlight such concerns, and my adviser suggested I study transhumanism. Its focus on technological enhancements to human beings is essentially religious, with its goal of immortality and the creation of a godlike artificial superintelligence.
So here lies the answer to my friends’ questions: my desire was to study relationships between Christianity and technology, and God brought me to a subject I had never heard of, yet one that cried out for a theological examination. Yes, I ran into some opposition, but 1 John 3:13 says we should not be surprised “that the world hates you.†I was not surprised by skeptics, but I did not assume that I would be hated. My interest in STS scholarship was genuine, and with few exceptions, the Virginia Tech faculty, fellow students, and my advisory committee supported me in pursuing my interests.
No doubt, Christian students in secular universities experience a wide variety of responses. My success may not be typical. Still, I find in it confirmation of Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.†May God lift you up in your studies!
Teaching Tips: Engineering in the Real World
Here at ESN, we’ve found that some of our most appreciated posts share practical tips on learning various academic skills that emerging scholars can use to serve God and their neighbors. Teaching is a key way to serve students and love our neighbors by sharing knowledge, and it’s also something many emerging scholars are learning how to do. So in Spring 2017, we’re sharing teaching tips from people in our network. We hope readers will get some good ideas from each other, and also get a glimpse into how Christian scholars in a wide variety of settings exercise the creativity and knowledge God has given them to serve their students. Today’s tip is from ESN writer and engineering professor Tim Gilmour.Â
One thing that has worked well for all my science/engineering courses is to keep a powerpoint of pictures or short videos of “real-world devices & products” related to concepts covered in the class, and to show one or two of these slides before every class period. In my field it is challenging to keep the students motivated, because as they are slogging through the mathematical details and techniques, they constantly wonder to themselves, “Is it worth it? Why am I doing this? What relevance does this material have to the real world?” Showing relevant products or scenarios before each class tends to help the students keep up their motivation. I have used consumer products, military products, biomedical products, and especially devices for humanitarian situations like rescuing people after disasters, providing clean water or energy for people in developing countries, etc. Modern students tend to be very humanitarian and social-justice oriented, so this excites them.
Words of Authority (Scholar’s Compass)
Scripture
“See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!†(Gal 6:11, NIV)
Reflection
I have the privilege of being an engineer who follows the great engineer of the universe. Our great engineer set out the laws of nature so that we can harness them and respond to his command to “subdue†the earth.
In large engineering projects such as the construction sites I work on, engineers rely on documents issued by others to make decisions and build things under time constraint. A “for construction†stamp and the author’s initials on a drawing assure us that the design is ready for construction, and that we can contact the engineer for further advice.
Similarly, our great engineer has left marks of assurance in the Scriptures in which he documented his plans for humanity. Paul’s large signature in Galatians is one of them. These marks of assurance are relevant to us today for three reasons.
First, we can be assured that the authority of the Bible is verifiable. The Old Testament frequently refers to monuments or cultural norms that lasted “to this dayâ€; and the New Testament talks about eyewitnesses who “are still aliveâ€, including frequent uses of people’s names. The original readers of these books were invited to track down those artefacts and visit those people, to verify that the events described in the books were true. The fact that those readers circulated the books gives confidence that they were convinced by what they had read and found. Even today, we can look at archaeological evidence and satisfy ourselves about the historicity of the Bible.
Second, we can be assured of the human authorship of the Bible. The writers of the Bible had careers, fell ill, suffered shipwrecks, and endured political instabilities, just like today’s Christians. They were sinful human beings who drew on the powers of the Spirit and their limited human abilities to communicate God’s word to other sinful human beings. Even though languages, lifestyle, and technology change over time, the authors of the Bible were similar to us and lived in a cultural context that we could retrace and learn from.
Third, we can be assured that the books of the Bible are authorised for circulation. Marks of authorship such as Paul’s signatures in his letters and Luke’s opening statements in his two books tell us that their writings are not haphazard scribbles. Rather, they are well-researched documents of history, theology, and wisdom, written with guidance from the Spirit and intended for general circulation for the benefit of many.
As we read the Bible, let’s thank God for these little gems of assurance that the authors have left in the text. Just like an issued document helps an engineer to make decisions under time pressure, we can be assured that the Bible is an authoritative document to help us choose to follow The Way with our limited human intelligence. I pray that we will all endeavour to execute the plans of our great engineer with faithfulness and love.
Questions
Of the three assurances discussed in this post—verifiability, humanity, and authorisation—which one resonates most with your experience reading the Bible?
What analogies can you draw between the way God reveals himself to us through the Bible and the processes of assurance in your field of work?
Prayer
Father, we thank you for giving your word to us through the authors of the Bible. I pray that you will help us see your word with the authority it deserves and learn from it. Please help us study your word diligently and perform the handiwork you’ve prepared for us to do with faith, hope, and love.
Image courtesy of bogitw at Pixabay.com