A couple of people have asked me what courses I am taking this year. For the most part, it is a fairly standard array of courses for a first year M.Div student.

• Old Testament – a simply superb class; every word of that text is dripping with meaning. And I finally figured out what J-E-D-P are.
• Patristics – technically, this class is called “History of Christian Theology to 451.” I look forward to learning finally what gnosticism is.
• History – this course is called “Transitional Moments in Western Christianity to 1650. The professor emphasized it is a history of Christianity and not of the church. I’m looking forward to reading the letters from the first Jesuit missionaries in China. The professor is Bruce Gordon, author of this brand-new work on John Calvin.
• Religious Ethics – I walked into class yesterday and told the teaching assistant, “forget ethics – it’s all about grace!” We’ll see how far that attitude gets me.