Brite Divinity School Essays

     …We are told by Our Lord in Matthew 22:37 to love God with all of our heart, soul, and with all our mind.  Too often in my life I have found myself confronted with well-intentioned, but thoughtless and ignorant Christians who have, rather than provide comfort and peace in times of hurt, made things worse…both to others and myself.  Also, far from the warnings of some people I have encountered in my life, that we should simply have faith and not question, I have found that my questions regarding God and my faith have actually led me closer to God.  By engaging my mind I have been drawn closer to the Divine.  Theological education would serve to further the development of my mind in Christ, which would in turn fuel my passion to serve Him.

Discuss what has shaped your approach to an intellectual understanding of you faith and religious studies in general.

 

            A great influence upon my intellectual understanding of my faith initially was my father, who was an Episcopal priest.  My father’s faith is very intellectual.  I grew up watching him engage his mind in relation to his faith.  Additionally, both my father and mother had a great desire that their children develop a faith of their own.  A necessary part of us developing our own faith was to teach us to think and engage our own intellects regarding our faith and relationship with God. 

            My faith began to become more intellectual when I found the emotionalism of my early faith was lacking.  Not that there is anything wrong with emotion in faith, in fact I would say it is a necessary part of a true and full faith.  But, if we are to fully know God, then we must truly strive to love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds.  I have found that soul and heart are stressed in modern American Christianity, but the mind is often neglected.  Engagement of the mind is what protects worship and the study of God from descending into simple manipulation of our heart and soul.  The mind, one that is transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit, keeps faith honest. 

            My major at my University and the church I have worked at for three years while in school strengthened my personal leanings toward an intellectual approach to faith.  Through both institutions I have been exposed to the teachings and thoughts of men and women who value the importance of having an intellectual faith.  My professors have trained my mind to think more efficiently and with greater capacity.  My mind is now tuned to think across the spectrum, to allow what I learn in Hebrew to inform what I learn in Moral Philosophy.  Moreover, my mind has been trained to ask questions, knowing that though the answers often lead me to more questions, those questions lead me closer to God. 

            The priest of the Episcopal/Anglican Congregation where I serve as youth minister has taught me by instruction and example how to apply my intellect to my immediate ministry.  As I have observed him and other teachers at my church, I have learned how to encourage the laity in their ministry and to broaden their own understandings of God.  I have never served at a church with more people who eagerly engage their intellect as a part of their vibrant faith. 

            These experiences solidified my intellectual approach to my faith and to how I study religion.  To be able explain and understand doctrines and dogmas have been infinitely useful to me both in my personal faith and in my practical ministry.  Such things came about only through divinely led intellectual investigation.

 

 

 

 

3.) Discuss a time when you changed your mind on what you consider to be an important matter.

 

In the last few years my theology has become more reformed than it used to be.  Previously, I was an ardent Armenian.  My ideas on human freedom were, in my current opinion, too libertarian.  It became hard for me to read Romans and see, not only election, but also God’s own initiative, in spite of our lack of initiative, to restore the broken relationship between Him and humanity.  I started to understand freedom in the sense of one being free to accept that which is given, and that freedom does not necessarily mean that we were ever free to find it on our own.  Salvation and sanctification is a work begun only by God.

What I feel is important to note is that this change was not a sudden change.  This change of mind came after two years of thoughtful exploration and argument with myself and with other people.  The outcome of this is that I am solid in my reasons for changing my mind and sure that it was not done simply because I heard a clever argument or wanted to impress someone I admire.  Important change, I feel, should be thoughtful, not rushed, and approached with a patient spirit.

 

 

4.) Identify how Brite is a good fit for you and your particular academic and vocational goals.

 

            Brite’s emphasis on the intellect is one of the things that I believe make it a good fit for me as I pursue my academic and vocational goals.  It is obvious from the communication I have received from Brite and from the people who have given me guidance as I choose where to continue my studies that Brite is a challenging place to study, where a great emphasis is placed on excellent scholarship.

            My main interest is Old Testament.  When I initially contacted Brite, I was impressed with how enthusiastic the response was regarding how I could pursue my academic interest.  Also, though I am a Baptist and would like to teach in Baptist institutions, I also want to be academically well rounded.  I feel that studying in a non-Baptist institution would strengthen my scholarship and contribute much to my future teaching and ministry.