Scholarship & SpiritualityScholarship & SpiritualityRobert C. NewmanRobert C. Newman
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Scholarship & SpiritualityScholarship & Spirituality LetLet''s begin by defining each term.s begin by defining each term. Scholarship:Scholarship:
A manner of living that seeks to discover A manner of living that seeks to discover and understand the facts in some field and understand the facts in some field of academic study.of academic study.
Spirituality:Spirituality: A manner of living which seeks to A manner of living which seeks to
conform oneself to the standards set by conform oneself to the standards set by the Holy Spirit in Scripture.the Holy Spirit in Scripture.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Some Tensions:Some Tensions:Scholarship & SpiritualityScholarship & Spirituality
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Some TensionsSome Tensions Neglect of spiritualityNeglect of spirituality Ignoring or isolating one or the otherIgnoring or isolating one or the other Misuse of consensusMisuse of consensus The danger of positivismThe danger of positivism
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Neglect of SpiritualityNeglect of Spirituality We may become dominated by our field of We may become dominated by our field of
study to the detriment of things needed for study to the detriment of things needed for spiritualityspirituality An academic version of becoming a workaholic.An academic version of becoming a workaholic.
We cannot devote all of our time to our We cannot devote all of our time to our studies/research.studies/research. We cannot do this & be faithful to our Lord.We cannot do this & be faithful to our Lord. This may mean we wonThis may mean we won''t advance as far in our field t advance as far in our field
as we might otherwise have done.as we might otherwise have done. Yet some spiritual people have gone to the top Yet some spiritual people have gone to the top
of their fields:of their fields: Joseph, Moses, DanielJoseph, Moses, Daniel
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Ignoring or IsolatingIgnoring or Isolating We may try to solve complex questions of We may try to solve complex questions of
interaction between our academic field and interaction between our academic field and Scripture by ignoring one or the other, or by Scripture by ignoring one or the other, or by isolating one from the other.isolating one from the other. Perhaps we misunderstand the Bible here.Perhaps we misunderstand the Bible here. Perhaps we wish to get along better with our Perhaps we wish to get along better with our
academic colleagues, or with our fellow believers.academic colleagues, or with our fellow believers. Our responsibility is to be fair, both to the Our responsibility is to be fair, both to the
academic field and to the Bible, whether this academic field and to the Bible, whether this position is popular or not.position is popular or not.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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ConsensusConsensus We may tend to identify scholarship with We may tend to identify scholarship with
the consensus of scholars in our field…the consensus of scholars in our field… … … or spirituality with the consensus of or spirituality with the consensus of
Christians.Christians. We must instead go back to the data in We must instead go back to the data in
both cases.both cases. Again, this may mean loss of Again, this may mean loss of
advancement in one place or the other.advancement in one place or the other.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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PositivismPositivism We may tend to identify scholarship with We may tend to identify scholarship with
some sort of positivism:some sort of positivism: We must believe nothing we cannot observe or We must believe nothing we cannot observe or
test academically.test academically. But some problems may only be soluble by But some problems may only be soluble by
revelation.revelation. Others may have more than one possible Others may have more than one possible
solution, but the data is currently solution, but the data is currently insufficient to make scholarship better insufficient to make scholarship better than a guess.than a guess.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Some Reinforcements:Some Reinforcements:Scholarship & SpiritualityScholarship & Spirituality
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Some ReinforcementsSome Reinforcements Spirituality frees one from fear of other Spirituality frees one from fear of other
humans.humans. The best scholarship is done when peer The best scholarship is done when peer
pressure can be ignored.pressure can be ignored. Scholarship is invaluable for Scholarship is invaluable for
understanding what Scripture really understanding what Scripture really says.says. We need to know the original languages.We need to know the original languages. We need to know the culture and writing We need to know the culture and writing
conventions of the original authors & conventions of the original authors & audience.audience.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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Some ReinforcementsSome Reinforcements Spirituality gives us an absolute basis for Spirituality gives us an absolute basis for
diligence, honesty, truth-seeking, etc.diligence, honesty, truth-seeking, etc. Without these, scholarship cannot flourish.Without these, scholarship cannot flourish.
Scholarship emphasizes: Scholarship emphasizes: freedom to investigate,freedom to investigate, importance of believing only what is true.importance of believing only what is true.
Both of these are needed to advance in Both of these are needed to advance in spirituality & to avoid two common spirituality & to avoid two common problems in the modern church:problems in the modern church: Excessive dogmatism,Excessive dogmatism, Refusal to practice doctrinal discipline.Refusal to practice doctrinal discipline.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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ConclusionsConclusions Christians need both spirituality and Christians need both spirituality and
scholarship.scholarship. Understood as a general method Understood as a general method
(rather than as an academic (rather than as an academic profession), scholarship is a subset of profession), scholarship is a subset of Christian morality.Christian morality.
Abstracts of Powerpoint Talks
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