PhD's and Teaching

Bill,

Isn't this a little silly listing schools you've applied to among the degrees you've obtained?

Christian

 

silly

Christian

I had entered this forum a student at a nonRA school. People here helped me to see that the RA route is better. I am very appreciative. I attached this partly as a tribute to them ,and because and I had seen others list schools in which they are only enrolled. If it is silly, I'll remove it ...

 

The Ph.D. is also helpful for job evaluators in weeding out (often for all the wrong reasons) applicants. If a faculty position ad for a job that requires only a Master's gets 500 applications (not uncommon for ads in the Chronicle of Higher Education), faced with making a short list, one very easy 'out' is simply to eliminate all those without a Ph.D.

Same silly but common thing happens in the airline industry, where, in times of pilot glut, most airlines require a Bachelor's degree for applicants (no matter what subject it is in), while in times of pilot shortage, this requirement miraculously fades away.

When an employer takes the time really needed to screen applications, the Ph.D. fades in importance. As I've mentioned here, my wife chose Vanderbilt for her doctoral work primarily because of one man on their faculty whose work she really admired (Alisdair McIntyre), the only person on a 30+ person philosophy faculty without a doctorate.

 

Re: silly

Bill,

Any word on how your application is going? Have you begun formulating your Research Proposal.

North

 

Re: silly

I can understand the tribute. Just seemed odd to read list of degree accomplishments only to finish it up as you did.

All the best in your studies!

Christian

 

Christian: Thanks for your good wishes.

 

application to UNIZUL

North:

After talking to Reuben and receiving assurance that the degree would be through UNIZUL not SATS I enrolled on line and faxed transcripts to SATS. It seems that SATS is sort of a helping hand for both student to be and UNIZUL in handling paper work. This application was about 10 days ago. Reuben says he mailed me the UNIZUL paper work 8 days ago. Haven't received it yet.

I would like to research the issue of the relative subordination of the Son to the Father as eternal vs temporal, natural vs economic.

 

Re: application to UNIZUL

Good luck Bill & keep us posted as things progress. Looks like soon you will be able to stick the D.Th. back on your sig line
- D.Th. (in progress)

North

 

North:

Someone recently suggested that folks on this forum should charge for advice. I feel such advice is worthy of reward. I hope the saying is true about casting your bread on the water and it returning with dividends. If this is so then some members here should be expecting some BIG loafs!

THANKS,

 

I think that was me, Bill. I was joking, of course (But I do accept pay-pal). Good luck in your studies. I like your topic, but what about the Holy Spirit?

Craig

 

What about the HS

Craig:

A hot discussion today concerns whether the Son is relationally subordinate naturally and eternally or economically and temporally. My position at this time is that evidence of the former is wrongly derived from post incarnational contexts only. As no one suggests that the HS was enfleshed, that One is not included in this discussion.

Apologies to all for my allowing my enthusiasm to expose you to my religious fervor.

 

PhD or teaching credential? My 2 cents.

Bill-

In reply to your original question... I have had both great and non-wonderful instructors in high school, college, and grad school. Neither the PhD nor the teaching credential seemed to be any guarantee of quality instruction. The common denominators among the better teachers were experience and/or passion for the subject, neither of which can be taught.

Glad to see you're making headway in your theological studies. I seem to recall that the South African schools (or maybe just UNISA) had a reputation in Dr. Bear's books as having a surplus of red tape. Hope you can negotiate the tangle of bureaucracy without too much headache.

DG

 

Hi DG: I think you are right that neither a PhD nor a credential makes one a good teacher. And I also like your reference to passion. But I am not sure that passion without subject knowledge or the skill to convey that knowledge will will suffice either.

I think the amount of red tape involved with SA schools varies--sure hope so.

Thanks,

Bill