Author Archives: Karyn

Notes from the road: Days 3 & 4

It’s been a whirlwind of activity here in Grand Rapids. Our consultation came to an official end this afternoon, and then we had a terrific dinner at the home of one of hosts. We had a Brazilian BBQ (the meat just kept coming) and Brazilian side dishes (that I can’t remember how to pronounce) followed by Dutch dessert (our hosts were Dutch, but had lived in Brazil for 15 years and 4 of the attendees were from São Paulo). Languages at the table: Dutch, German, Portuguese, Afrikaans, and a tiny bit of English.Tomorrow I leave early in the morning to drive back to Chicago and then fly to New Orleans. Then the SBL circus begins!

So, what exactly have I been doing in Grand Rapids? Well, the short description is that I was invited (at the request of my advisor, Christo van der Merwe) to participate in a three-day Consultation on Bible Software in the Classroom and Pastorate. There were approximately 20 attendees. All stakeholders, but from different vantage points. Some were data producers, some software designers, others professors, and still others represented “real world” situations in the pastorate. There were representatives from four continents. No final answers or results came out of this time, rather it was the opening of a discussion and an assessment of the needs, tools, methods, and future of digital biblical tools. In addition, relationships were forged, ideas exchanged, and experiences demonstrated. It was a privilege for me to be able to participate.

I think we are still contemplating the content of our discussions, so it may be a bit before I post any real reflections from these three days. However, I do think that the fruit of the consultation should be shared more broadly, and receive input and contributions from others. Stay tuned!

Christian Attitudes Toward Hypnosis (a survey commissioned by CTR)

Alan Streett, editor of the Criswell Theological Review sent me a note, which I quote here.

The Spring 2010 Criswell Theological Review (CTR) will focus on the mind-body connection. Besides articles by Joel Green and other scholars, we will include the results of the first-ever survey of Christian attitudes toward hypnosis, which we have commissioned. The findings should be interesting and significant.

Hopefully, you can let your blog readers know about this and encourage them to take the survey at:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=rt48p_2biRompIDJeR_2buFWow_3d_3d

We want to get a sampling from a wide range of people from within the Christian community.

Thanks,

Alan Streett, editor
Criswell Theological Review

The mind-body connection has been in the news recently (e.g. the NPR series The Science of Spirituality) and as a result I’ve been involved with some interesting conversations regarding this topic. Whatever your thoughts about the mind-body connection or hypnosis, let your opinions be part of the survey the Review has commissioned. And then, be on the lookout for the journal next year to see the results!

Jim West’s International Influence

We all know that Jim has been ranking high in the blogosphere numbers over in New Zealand.

Little did we realize that the Kiwis’ affinity for West’s profundity would have such an affect on their national integrity. Read here for details about the ranking of New Zealand as the least corrupted country in the world. Perhaps this will help with Jim’s bid to be recognized as an honorary Kiwi.

“Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” makes Amazon Top 10 Editors’ Pick list

Last month, I wrote about William Kamkwamba on my blog here and here.

I was thrilled to see that his book is #10 on the Amazon Editors’ Pick list. I highly recommend the book. He describes his family and life in Malawi with detail and affection.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
The description of how his family survived a famine and the story of how he continued to push himself to learn even when unable to go to school are inspiring. Here’s a young man who took a book from a library, taught himself how to harness wind power to generate electricity, and built a windmill with scrapyard parts (and tools that he had to make himself). Buy the book (because it helps support his efforts to support development of leadership in Africa), read it, and then pass the book along to someone else. The co-author of the book (Bryan Mealer), a journalist who for years had only horrific news to report from Africa, finally gets to bring a story of hope and inspiration back home.

Notes from the road: Day 2

Today was a full day.

The alarm went off too early (or so it seemed). A quick breakfast (the Prince Conference Center had set out “the works” for us: omelets, biscuits, cereal, fresh fruit on skewers, pastries, juices, yogurt, and of course coffee). We walked over the highway via the enclosed pedestrian walkway which takes you from the Prince Conference Center to the rest of the Calvin campus. The seminary building was amazing. Beautiful lobbies (with mission oak furniture and fine art and artifacts). In the hallway outside our conference room there are two series of fiber art exhibits. You can read about them here, but the photos don’t do justice to the textures and brilliant colors. Classrooms are thoughtfully appointed and equipped with state of the art technology. Hospitality is something that all students, faculty, and staff not only talk about, but actually practice.

Best quote of the day was when a session began, “Lady and gentlemen.” Yes, I am the only female in the group of 20 at the consultation. I’m privileged to be a part of this “thinktank” session about using digital biblical tools in the classroom. Lots of great ideas, creative brainstorming, questions, challenges, and sharing of resources. Hopefully, I will be able to share more details in the future.