It is my custom to bore you by briefly highlighting the classes I take each semester. Because of my now broken blogging silence I have not done so this semester. So, without further ado…

Middle Egyptian II – This is, as the title should make obvious, the second semester of a year long course in Middle Egyptian at Boston University. Let’s be honest, which one of us hasn’t wanted to learn Hieroglyphs as a kid? If you’re a sci-fi geek, you know that there is a far more important reason for learning ancient Egyptian: you might be asked to join the Stargate Program. All joking aside, another ANE language under my belt is a very good thing. What I’m about to say will probably reveal just how much of a geek I truly am (as if the Stargate comment above didn’t already do that), but I can think of very few things I would rather do than learn an ancient language. Besides, Dr. Botta is simply excellent. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this class.

Exegesis of Revelation – Dr. McDonough teaches this class and I’ve found it truly fascinating. Not only is the professor engaging, but the regular references to the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are icing on the cake. I’ve not been a big fan of this, the final book of the Bible, but this class is changing that. It’s also helping to hone my Greek skills since we’re required to read the entire book in Greek.

Exegesis in the Minor Prophets – Another class with Dr. Stuart is always a good thing. Although I’ve covered the minor prophets in both undergrad, and in a more broadly focused class here at GCTS, I’m still finding this class informative. It is especially helpful because the majority of our class time is spent simply analyzing the Hebrew text, primarily from a grammatical perspective but also with attention to text criticism, structure, etc. In addition I’m writing a paper on Habakkuk 3 for the course, which is proving to be fascinating.

Applied Anthropology for Missions – As esoteric as the title sounds, this class is actually fun. I’m not an anthropologist, though I do find the subject interesting. Personally I think that there is a lot of payoff for Biblical interpretation in understanding one’s own culture as well as the culture of the text. I’m writing a paper on how epistemology influences the debate surrounding inerrancy. Although I’m fairly sure that this is going to be an eternal debate, at least it ties what I’m learning here back into Biblical studies.

Martin Luther – Really, what more can one say? Sometimes I think this guy really helped the church, and other times I’m convinced he’s the worst thing to happen to it since Constantine. Either way, the class is fun if for no other reason than we get into some heated discussions. This, of course, is one of the best ways to learn. If only I could figure out a way to manage a heated discussion in a Hebrew grammar class, I could feel I’ve accomplished something.

So, there you have it. Yes, I’m taking five classes my final semester. Yes, it’s possible I’m crazy. But what more can one do? There is so much to learn, and only a very short amount of time in which to learn it.