Fall Classes

Even though I’m still in the thick of Summer Greek, I managed to register for classes this week, along with all the other incoming Juniors here at Princeton Theological Seminary.  Almost all of the classes are required, so I didn’t have too much say in the matter, but I did get to pick one “elective.” Here are the course descriptions:

1. Survey of Early and Medieval Church History. The life and thought of the Christian church from the apostolic period to the eve of the Reformation. Lectures and group discussions of brief writings representative of major movements and doctrinal developments. Designed as an orientation to the shape of the whole tradition in its social setting.  (Mr. Rorem)
2. Introduction to Christian Education and Formation. This course provides an introduction to the ministry of Christian education and formation in congregations.  Course participants will consider the pedagogical dimensions of Word, baptism, and Eucharist in relation to both the formation of Christian identity and constructive engagement in pluralistic and rapidly changing contexts. (Mr. Mikoski)
3. Orientation to Old Testament Studies.  An introduction to selected perspectives of the Old Testament through lectures, preceptorial group study, and directed reading in the Old Testament itself and in secondary literature. (Ms. Sakenfeld and Mr. Olson)
4. Speech Communication in Ministry I. Weekly workshops on speech communication in the context of ministry emphasizing critical and empathic study of biblical and other literature as encountered in the spoken word. Exploration of principles involved in perceiving and expressing denotative and connotative meaning through verbal, vocal, and physical gesture. Development of skill in technical, theoretical, and theological evaluation of one’s own work and the work of others. (Speech Staff)
   
5. The Theological Legacy of the Dionysian Forgery.  An investigation of the Pseudo-Dionysian writings and their influence on Christian theology and spirituality, especially medieval mysticism. Attention will also be given to medieval angelology, theological aesthetics (including Gothic architecture), ecclesiastical hierarchy, Thomas Aquinas and scholastic philosophy, negative (apophatic) theology, and liturgical commentaries. Lectures, discussion of readings, and research paper. (Mr. Rorem)

I paid a visit to the bookstore yestserday, and will probably need to sell my firstborn son (sorry, Grady) in order to pay for the books — over $200 just for the two classes that already had the books on the shelf…and counting.  Of the five classes, I’m really excited about two of them, cautiously optimistic about one, indifferent to another, and quite reluctant about one.  Can you figure out which is which (and which one is my elective)?