Throughout my first year of grad school, I have seen first-hand the value of research and ideas. However, this may come at the cost of losing sight of people's inherent value and worth. People are often valued solely by their ability to create new research and new ideas. Looking back at myself, I find that I took part in favoritism toward high output individuals (see James 2 for some tough words on this). That's where teaching comes in. Teaching is an opportunity to treat all people as valuable regardless of their … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: On Teaching…
Faithful Presence
Faithful Presence: The Justice of Story
Although Othello is accused of using witchcraft to woo Desdemona, it is actually a story that causes her to fall in love with him. At the invitation of Desdemona's father, Othello recounts his life “from year to year, the battles, sieges, fortunes” of his days: his enslavement among his enemies, his travels through foreign lands, his daring escapes. The story leaves Desdemona in tears. As Othello sums up: “She loved me for the dangers I had passed. / And I loved her that she did pity them. / This is the only witchcraft … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: The Justice of Story
Faithful Presence and the Road to Emmaus
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is the familiar story of the road to Emmaus from Luke 24:13-33. The passage shows our resurrected Lord coming alongside the disciples who were on their way back to their home after the devastating events of the crucifixion that had just taken place near Jerusalem. Jesus patiently listens as they pour out their anguish and grief. He was visibly present, but there was something more. The disciples could not quite put their finger on it, but there was something authentic and … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence and the Road to Emmaus
Faithful Presence: Frankenstein’s Hospitality
“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it” is a quote from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the novel which spurred my love of research and people in a new direction as I explored my academic voice through my undergraduate thesis. This passion for exploring human instincts and connection quickly led me to a master's degree, also in literature. In my current role as higher education staff, I sit uniquely between graduate students and faculty in a position that provides … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: Frankenstein’s Hospitality
Faithful Presence: Conclusion: The Dance of Faithful Presence in Higher Education
This is Part 5 in a five-part essay series. This essay series has considered what it means to live with faithful Christian presence in the midst of deep pluralism. I pointed out that faithful presence does not lend itself to simplistic solutions, but rather involves a “precarious dance”[1] of learning to hold in tension seemingly contradictory postures. I then examined three such tensions: affirmation and antithesis, engagement and distinctness, and humility and hope. In this final essay, we turn our attention to … [Read more...] about Faithful Presence: Conclusion: The Dance of Faithful Presence in Higher Education