Hello North Thanks for asking. And also thanks for sending me the SATS proposal guidelines earlier. Candidly, I found these superficial, though! I am approaching the proposal with the view that the more thoroughly I research the literature now the more likely I can elicit proper questions on which to structure the chapters of the dissertation. I have a working bibliography now of 150-200 sources : theological journal articles, monographs,systematics,exegetical aides,and general reference tools. Prof Pitchers, my advisor, prior to seeing the form on which one preliminarily requests a go ahead on the topic was a little skiddish re yet another study of relational subordinationism in trinal relations. But I am approaching this ontologically not economically or incarnationally with the supposition that clues exist re the Son's relational subordination (as to whether eternal or temporal) in the transcendant aspects of God. I am unaware of this much being done previously. Process theology , rather than an aside, is bocoming a focus of attention. This is slowing me down as I have little experience with it. The magnitude of this research is enormous ( getting a hold on 2ooo yrs of opining and the necessary exegesis of many vital texts is involved) suggesting my topic is too broad. But I don't want to narrow it, I am close to the starting of the writing of the proposal. If it is accepted then the footstones will be clearly before me because of my attention in this beginning stage of preparation. The issue is not, of course, what I can get by with but what my Subject requires of me. Thanks for your interest,
the process Sorry, you asked about the process and I blathered on about the disser topic. So: 1) in early March I arrived on this forum ready to do "battle" over the virtue of the unaccred doc program in Theology in which I then was enrolled. 2) I quickly was converted to RA/gaap because of the effective argumentation of helpful posters (and my own perceptiveness-ha). 3) About mid March I applied via SATS into UNIZUL paying the registration, application, and first year tuition (about a whopping $900). Good posters here pointed me to SA. 4) Both SATS and North provided me with some applications and Guides. I filled out the applic for admission to the Univ and a second to re my topic of research. These I submitted about 4-10 5) On 5-3 Prof Song indicated that all "foreign" transcripts needed to be OKd by SAQA, but that it looked to him that I was in. On 5-9 I was provided with a student # and Dr Pitchers was assigned as supervisor and officially wecomed aboard. 6) I started to gather and review the prior re search immediately and am within a few days of beginning to write my dissertation proposal . The proposal includes a statement of the problem and the value of the research, a review of prior research and an establishment of a connection to that with the disser, a method of approach, and bibliographic details. I believe one should build the dissertation on questions raised and shown valid in the proposal. 7) When Unizul came back online, a note on the ThD description stated that studies additional to the dissertation might be required of students. But on 5-21 a speedy response by Dean Song to my emailed concern assured me the dissertation will be all the requisite in my case. I think I can do the dissertation in 21/2-3 years. I am very happy!
Re: the process Glad to hear things are going well Bill. Good luck as you get the proposal together and submit it for approval. North
