Four exams down, one to go. After my Biblical Hebrew exam tomorrow, I will be free as a fox...for two weeks. Then I begin on a rough summer session comprised of six weeks of CHEM 233 (Organic Chem), and 12 weeks of RELG 314 (Origins of Christianity). I have heard only horror stories about CHEM 233; every single person whom I've spoken to has warned me, freaked me, terrorized me, and just plain scared me. It will not be an easy six weeks, that much I know. As for RELG 314, I am excited (not scared) to start. I have heard only good things about the professor (Dr. Neufeld), and about the course itself. Not only that, it's material I am very interested about. It should be a great 12 weeks.
Anywho, I came across a radio interview of Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne on a fellow bloggers site (The Questioning Christian has an awesome blog, worth checking out). Polkinghorne is decked out: professor of Particle Physics turned Anglican Priest, appointed a Knight of the British Empire, insanity! Anyways, he remarks in the interview about the dual nature of light: light is both a particle and a wave at the same time. Now, this has been indoctrinated into me since high school, and I have come to just accept it. He explains it so (paraphrased): if you ask of light a particle-like question, you will get a particle-like answer; if you ask of light a wave-like question, you will get a wave-like answer. This paradox (contradiction) is a foundation stone of much modern physics. But when Christian theology says Jesus is both man and God, people choke and snicker. Both are incredibly mysterious and odd; one is widely accept, the other is laughed at. But as Polkinghorne says, if you ask of Jesus man-like questions, you will get man-like answers; if you ask of Jesus God-like questions, you will get God-like answer. Is that really so odd in a modern world such as ours?
Another thing that popped into my head (again) today: what is it about the Anglican Church that has so many great scholars and thinkers: C.S. Lewis, Alister McGrath, N.T. Wright, John Polkinghorne, Richard Burridge, James Packer, and the list goes on. Is there something about the Anglican Church that nourishes/encourages/facilitates the life and vocation of its intellectuals? Maybe it's just pure coincidence? Maybe it's because the British have a longer history of theological studies than North America? I don't have an answer...
I must get back to my wonderful Pi'el paradigms.
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