the next step

t4stywh34t
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It's been a while since I've posted. Here's why.

I have officially graduated from Asbury, and now Cherith and I are heading on to what seems to be the next step the Lord has laid out for us. When I was accepted to Durham's postgrad program, we had hoped to be able to move overseas next year to continue the Adventures in Slavery to Higher Ed. However, as is pretty typical for American students, I didn't receive the funding necessary for us to do this. Despondent, I deferred my program of study until next year with the plan of working and saving money this year. We were hoping to remain in the Wilmore/Lexington area, seeing as it is cost-effective and would allow us to continue being with our church family. This was all dependent on me getting a local job, however, and I had impressively disastrous results in my three-month search. The other possibilities we entertained were moving back to western NY to be near Cherith's family or moving to NC to be near my family. We applied to many jobs, and a few weeks ago suddenly the stone started rolling and shedding its moss. Though I haven't had luck yet, Cherith received three invites for interviews - one at our alma mater, Houghton College, one at Roberts Wesleyan (in Rochester, NY), and one at Duke University, all in financial aid. Though the thought of being at Duke initially thrilled me, the doors opened widest for us to return to Houghton. Within a week Cherith had been flown up to interview, been offered the job, accepted, and we had found an amazing place to live. Eerily enough, the day after accepting the position, I found out from Durham that they would allow me to pursue my postgrad studies part-time from the US, assuming I would 1) have access to a strong theological library (which Houghton does) and 2) be able to fly over twice a year or so for face-to-face meetings with my advisors (Lewis Ayres and Carol Harrison). Furthermore, Houghton has set a precedent by offering Cherith 50% tuition remission for a Master's degree in music, which will allow her to continue on with her dreams.

All that to say, we are sad, excited, nervous, and awed. If you're the praying sort, please offer a petition for me to be able to find the right job, and for us to trust Him to provide in the meanwhile. We will mourn the proximity to friends and family that we have had here at Asbury (especially my brother and his wife), but on the other hand we gain back several friends and much of Cherith's family by moving back to NY. I will also mourn the loss of Ale-8 and Pazzo's amazing pretzels. However, I will receive in return the best chicken wings money can buy.

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some very, very difficult decisions

t4stywh34t
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Cherith and I are staying in the US next year.  While I was very, very, very excited to be accepting into Durham's post-grad studies program for Religion/Theology, I have also come to realize the brutal hinge-pin concerning UK PhDs...money.  In the UK, thanks to new immigration laws, the people who generally proceed from the US are those who are 1) offered fantastic scholarships or 2) can afford to drop a huge sum initially with the hopes that more scholarships can be sought and more money can be earned once there.  As you might have guessed, I fall into neither of those categories.  I was not offered either of the scholarships I applied for, so what remains are scholarships I'm eligible for once there.  On the other hand, Cherith and I are poor :-).  Relatively speaking, of course.  Coming out of this degree is not going to be easy on our bank account (though it could have been, which is something I will not soon forget - ask me to tell you the story one day [not over FaceBook or Blogger]), and I foresaw such a circumstance long ago when I deliberated concerning applying to other programs.  That being said, I also came to this conclusion knowing that I can defer my enrollment to Durham for a year.  So in the off chance that my name comes up for consideration again for scholarships, and/or we can save a ton of money, that door is still open to me.


So, in all likelihood I will be taking another year-long break from academia proper (though obviously still working on many things) and looking for some sort of employment.  I've applied to a library job at Duke University, and there are a few jobs in this area I'm going to look into.  I'm sad that my goals are looking slightly more distant now, but that's just part of life.  We'll see what opportunities the next year holds.

I recently made another decision that was also difficult.  But that's for another blog post...

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durham update 2 + artists/albums

t4stywh34t
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Item the First:

Today I received my "offer letter" from Durham. It's very concerting to see things spelled out, but it's disappointing to know that I still have to wait a month to hear about funding. But going back to my previous point...seeing in writing that my supervisors will be Carol Harrison and Lewis Ayres just about made me have an aneurysm (in a good way). So now I should probably own all their books, which fortunately aren't many.

Item the Second:

Chad's recent post on his top 20 albums got me thinking about the music that has influenced/is most influencing me, and it's tough to narrow the list down to just 20 albums...so I thought I'd focus mainly on artists, highlighting the most prominent albums that have worked on me over the years. And I left my list at 22. You can laugh all you want at some of them, but just remember: we all have skeletons in our gig bags. These are not in order of importance, just alphabetical.

  1. Arcade Fire (Funeral) - Funeral was their first main album, and I revel in the fact that I adored them before Neon Bible came out. I think I was mostly reveling in the fact that I loved a quasi-alternative band from Canada.
  2. Blue Man Group (Audio) - BMG was the soundtrack of my senior year of high school, and it got me pumped up for more than one AP exam. I just can't get past the fact that it's a band full of percussive power that has the guts to paint themselves blue. Plus, one of my dreams is to play with them one day.
  3. Coldplay (Rush of Blood/Viva la Vida) - I was not on the Coldplay bandwagon to begin with. When "Yellow" was a popular song, I enjoyed hating them. Then A Rush of Blood to the Head came out, and I was hooked. Though I was not a huge fan of X & Y, with Viva la Vida I'm back in the camp. This is one of the only CDs I can listen to straight through several times in a row and not get sick of it.
  4. Dave Matthews Band (Crash/Everyday/Live in Central Park) - Though I realize many of you out there are sympathetic to this, others of you are rolling your eyes. Roll away. But you can't deny that Carter Beauford is one of the best stinkin' drummers in the world. I don't idolize people (or at least I try not to), but he's the closest I'll get to wanting to actually possess someone's complete skillset.
  5. David Crowder (All I Can Say/A Collision) - Crowder's second and fourth albums suffered from unfortunate poppiness (though Can You Hear Us? is one of my faves). His start as a Baptist praise band leader through acoustic awesomeness is highlighted on All I Can Say, which seems to be pretty hard to get a hold of nowadays. With A Collision, though, he really integrated acoustic/bluegrass with rock/electronic in such a way that I almost wept when I heard some of the songs on it for the first time (during my last semester of college, studying abroad in Australia). Very, very powerful stuff.
  6. The Decemberists (The Crane Wife) - I dug Picaresque (especially because I got it for free from eMusic back in its infancy stages), but it sat unbothered for a long time on my hard drive until The Crane Wife came out. Colin Meloy has brought back the uberballad - the lost art of a CD being an integrated entity that tells a story, and God bless him for it. Of all the "alternative" bands I like, the Decemberists are the ones Cherith has the largest affinity for. When you become a disciple, then shoot for The Tain. You won't be sorry.
  7. Enya (A Day Without Rain) - This is where I will probably lose most of you. Though Rob introduced me to Enya years ago, and though my US history teacher in high school used to make fun of her, right when I needed something like A Day Without Rain, I had it. I have cranked out 6 major term papers to this CD since college, and when seasonal affective disorder was hitting me hard in college, I must say that this CD really helped. It's amazing what you can do with four chords and a haunting voice.
  8. Genesis (Invisible Touch) - For those who hung on past Enya, you probably now feel betrayed. This was Genesis' 13th stinkin' studio album, and though it's hard to peg this as their best (it isn't), it was the one that got me into them. I mean, c'mon...Phil Collins!
  9. Gotye (Like Drawing Blood) - Gotye is one guy (an Aussie, though not natively) who is a whiz at sampling, and he can play just about anything. You really, really have to listen to this album. "Heart's a Mess" will haunt you the rest of your life. It got me through some tough times in Australia.
  10. Interpol (Turn on the Bright Lights) - Most of you will not like Interpol, primarily because of Paul Banks' voice. But get past it and you enter into a world some call "post-punk," some "alternative," and others "um, what the heck is this?" Un/fortunately they've made it onto the Rock Band scene, but maybe others will fall in love with them like I did back in college. (And yes, the Interpol shirt you see me wear on occasion is because of the band, not because I did the international police force.)
  11. Jimmy Eat World (Bleed American/ST) - Though they've only had a couple popular singles, to me Jimmy Eat World represent all that is good with popular rock-n-roll. The songs are catchy, well-played, and [decently] well-written. They remind me of good times in high school. Futures is a good recent release, but I'll always go back to the first stuff.
  12. Led Zeppelin (everything) - There is not a single LZ album that I do not like, so it would be rude of me to single one out (though, ironically, IV will always hold a special place in my heart). John Bonham should be included in my pantheon of revered drummers. If you've never listened to the Zep, you really should get on that.
  13. Muse (Absolution) - Muse is probably the most interesting rock/electronic group I've ever heard, despite the fact that the vox can get somewhat repetitive.
  14. Pedro the Lion (Control) - Control may be in my top three favorite albums of all time. I started listening to Pedro in college when I was in a band with a couple guys, and we decided we wanted to get a bit more minimalistic. We covered "Of Minor Prophets and Their Prostitute Wives," and that was it for me. I was hooked to their proclivity for all things simple, and they really helped chill me out as a drummer. Don't get me started on the raw honesty of their lyrics.
  15. Pink Floyd (though everything, mostly The Wall) - I remember in middle school when I used to listen to the radio before going to bed...and some track from The Wall came up and I dug it. The next day I asked my dad, "Dad, have you ever heard of a band called Pink Floyd?" Of course, he laughed.
  16. The Presidents of the United States of America - Millions of peaches. Peaches for me. Millions of peaches. Peaches for free. If you didn't listen to this CD in the '90s, you were ostracised. This was also one of the first tapes I ever owned.
  17. Radiohead (The Bends) - Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy In Rainbows, but I prefer the rock-ier side of Radiohead. For that, I have to go back a few years to when I first got into them, during the Summer of 2001. This was just an awesome CD.
  18. Sigur Ros ( ( ) ) - That was fun to type. I love all their stuff, but when I was a freshman in college (when I didn't know how to pronounce their name), I was recommended this album by a hall-mate. I didn't know "ambient Icelandic awesomeness" was a genre, but now we all do.
  19. Sparta (Wiretap Scars) - I don't dig too many voice-raising bands, but Sparta's one of them. Those of you attuned to the genealogy of rock will realize that Sparta is one-half of the offspring of the splitting of At the Drive-In (the other band being the Mars Volta), and frankly, it's the half I like the most.
  20. Thursday (Full Collapse) - I'm not so much into Thursday nowadays, seeing as I'm waiting for them to do something slightly more innovative than they have been, but in college my RD fed me Thursday, and I was delighted. This is the second main screamy-sort of band I enjoy. Now if I could just find my t-shirt...
  21. U2 (Best of 1980-1990) - The reason I chose a "best of" CD is more because I'm delineating the point at which I lose interest in U2. No matter what they do now, they can never compare to the awesomeness of Joshua Tree and the few albums afterward. Plus, "Where the Streets Have No Name" was on the radio when I proposed to Cherith. But that's another story.
  22. Weezer (Blue/Maladroit...maybe even Make Believe) - Patrick Wilson is the third member of my pantheon (I'm not calling them a Trinity), because he's not overly-complicated and is a model of solidity. The Blue album is also one of the few CDs I can listen to over and over again without getting sick of it. It probably has the most sentimental value of any album for me, as well, and is one of the earliest albums I ever owned. You will often see me donning my Kermit/Flying V/W shirt for this reason.

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durham update

t4stywh34t
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Though I blurbed about this on Twitter and Facebook, I think I need to clarify some things, and it's easier to do it in one fell swoop than explaining it to everyone individually.  Yes, I was accepted into Durham.  Here are the "conditional" statements that go along with that; the "asterisks" on the deal, as it were:

I did not apply for the PhD program, so I am not going straight into the PhD program.  The way the British system works, it would almost have been more of an advantage applying to the PhD program from a first-class honors undergraduate degree than applying with a US Master's degree.  Since I am essentially crossing fields, an MA in Biblical Studies from the US isn't quite enough to make it into a PhD program in the UK in Historical Theology, though they can see from the coursework that I've done plenty already.  In addition, UK degrees are heavy on the research side, something which is not emphasized much in the US unless you're doing an MA with a thesis component.  Unfortunately, the way Asbury's MAs are structured, doing a thesis has become nigh an impossibility, unless you don't mind taking 4 years to complete a 60-credit degree (which I obviously do).  So, having talked extensively with Durham people (including the professors I'd like to work under), I decided that it was more in my favor to apply to a one-year research MA with plans on sticking around for the PhD.

This has a number of things in my advantage.  First, the transition from an all-coursework degree to an all-research degree will be smoother because I'll have an in-between step.  I will be able to get experience doing serious research, not having to start my major thesis from scratch at the PhD level.  Second, though funding is tough for the MA, doing the MA at Durham will set me up better for PhD funding.  I have been impressed that at almost every step in this process, Durham has been interested in knowing whether I want to proceed to the PhD or not.  They do give priority to their own.

Coursework vs. research is an obvious hinge-point for a lot a people.  I will have been in what is essentially religious/theological/historical instruction for 6 and a half years when I graduate this summer.  I am pretty tired of sitting in a classroom.  Now, granted, this isn't because I think I'm good to go and have learned everything I can learn.  It's more that I have a good understanding of what I want to research and write on, and everything else at this point is supplemental - but has been required.  The UK system realizes this and caters to people like me who are ready to make research their primary focus, and classwork a secondary supplement.  So while I might be taking a class here or there at Durham, none of it would be required.  The second main benefit of this is that I'll be done way sooner.  Even taking a one-year MA before the PhD will have me completely done in four years of full-time research, which is break-neck speed for a US PhD.  In addition to this, one must realize that from my MA in Biblical Studies I am not in a good position to get straight into a Historical Theology PhD here in the US, especially since it would mostly involve taking the GREs, which also affects funding.

So, all this to say, though it might be rough-and-tumble, and I wouldn't see much of Cherith for a few years because of all the work, in the end it would [hopefully] see me with a PhD at 29/30, which means we could start a family without having to worry tremendously about balancing school and baby stuff.  Granted, though, anything could happen (God is certainly able and welcome to change what needs changing).  Further, barring the unknown event that I could get full funding for a PhD here in the States, it could even be cheaper.

Finally, here is the biggy that needs to be understood clearly by all: being admitted is only the first step.  The second step is funding.  Funding is huge, because we are broke.  If I get no funding, we are not going anywhere.  We'll stay in the States, work and save, and I'll apply to different programs next year.  However, if the funding looks favorable, and we wouldn't need to take out many loans, we will go.  I am thankful that the Lord allowed us to experience a move to and from Australia before this time in our lives, because we know what's involved in an overseas move now.  Those are other costs to be considered.  Yet we also have faith that the Lord will provide as he sees fit, so I am not too bothered by the money situation yet.  However, if you feel so compelled to lend us a hand when/if the time came, don't hesitate :-).  Like I said, having no money but having faith still results (at the present) in having no money.

So keep us in your prayers, and if God talks back, listen to him and let us know what he says.

a sort-of apology; or, an apology of sorts

t4stywh34t
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I realize I haven't blogged anything noteworthy in a long time, and that's primarily because of schoolwork.  However, there are two things I want to mention quickly:


1. Since I am mostly through with my application to Durham (need to finalize my proposal), I'm turning my attention to publishing.  My major paper for Exegesis of General Epistles, as I mentioned a while ago, went over quite well with my professor.  Today we met to talk about a few editorial changes (including a source I need to read), and also about the process of publishing.  We found a few journals that my article might be a good fit for, so now I just need to do a bit of research and decide who to submit to.  One thing I didn't realize is that you never want to submit the same article to more than one journal at a time, because apparently if two or more journals want to use the article, the one(s) you snub will not be too pleased about it, and it could damage your reputation.  So the name of the game is patience.

2. I write a lot of critical reflection papers as a seminarian, and though many of the books wouldn't interest any of you, I've decided that I want to start posting smallish reviews here on the blog, in order to give you something meaty to read when I have nothing else interesting to say.  So look for those coming soon.

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phew

t4stywh34t
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Finally got everything sent off to Durham.  Now I just need to follow up and make sure my references are getting in on time.  Here's to a great couple months of biting my fingernails.