Tag: my studies

Plagiarism

In an interview, she said the idea of an author whose singular effort creates an original work is rooted in Enlightenment ideas of the individual. It is buttressed by the Western concept of intellectual property rights as secured by copyright law. But both traditions are being challenged.

from Lines on Plagiarism Blur for Students in the Digital Age – NYTimes.com via Hamma Library.

Gospel as a threat

As I looked through my stuff, there are lot of interesting things that might as well go here on ispeculate.net. When taking a class about Urban Ministry in Detroit, I attended few lectures by Dr. James W. (Jim) Perkinson. Dr. Perkinson was in his lectures focused on the reading of the Bible as a response to the Empire. Continue reading Gospel as a threat

Vocabulary: Primary and Secondary Sources

Primary Sources are original records created during the time period under study, or, after events occurred in the form of memoirs and oral histories. They reflect the individual viewpoint of a participant or observer and are often referred to as the raw data used by historians to interpret the past. Examples of primary sources would include diaries, letters, newspaper articles written at the time of an event, novels, poems, artifacts, original scientific experiments etc.

Secondary Sources are works that interpret or analyze historical events or phenomena. Secondary sources often base their theories or arguments on the direct evidence presented in primary sources. Examples of secondary sources would include criticisms or interpretations of literary works, books about historical events, textbooks, interpretations of scientific research etc.

via Primary Sources | Library – University of Calgary.

First Call Congregations

The emphasis of the new project, “Vocation of First Call Congregations,” was to study the characteristics of congregations that do a good job supporting first call pastors as they start their ministry following completion of their seminary education.

via Vocation of First Call Congregations – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Merit of sources

When looking at merit of historical sources, there are five criteria that are of most importance.

  • Multiple Attestation – Do we have many independent sources?
  • Dissimilarity – Do our sources seem to support the writers agenda? If not its better!
  • Language and Environment – Does the language and the environment fit the setting it is supposed to fit?
  • Coherence – Does what we are researching fit what we already know?
  • Post-Enlightenment World View – Does it fit what we know about reality? For example, people don’t rise from dead.

Meaning of Equal Access

Gene Outka wrote the article “Social Justice and Equal Access to Health Care” in 1974. It is still as relevant now as it was then. In it Outka reminds us that:

Health crises seem non-meritarian because they occur so often for reasons beyond our control or power to predict.

The claim that some are to be treated differently based on merit or virtues, forces us to come to a conclusion that some people are more than others. Such a conclusion calls us to give all human beings a price tag.

If one agrees, for whatever reasons, with the agapeic judgment that each person should be regarded as irreducibly valuable, then one cannot succumb to a social productiveness criterion of human worth.

Therefore, concept of merit or virtues, are useless.

Righteous living or Hierarchy

Concerning those who call themselves Cathari, if they come over to the Catholic and Apostolic Church, the great and holy Synod decrees that they who are ordained shall continue as they are in the clergy. But it is before all things necessary that they should profess in writing that they will observe and follow the dogmas of the Catholic and Apostolic Church; in particular that they will communicate with persons who have been twice married, and with those who having lapsed in persecution have had a period [of penance] laid upon them, and a time [of restoration] fixed so that in all things they will follow the dogmas of the Catholic Church.

via CHURCH FATHERS: First Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325).

When reading through The Canons of Nicaea from 325, it is surely interesting how structures and hierarchy take over and questions of righteous and holy living become secondary. As part of that the Canons address very thoroughly the right way of the clergy, reminds us that:

Let all such practices be utterly done away, and let the deacons remain within their own bounds, knowing that they are the ministers of the bishop and the inferiors of the presbyters. Let them receive the Eucharist according to their order, after the presbyters, and let either the bishop or the presbyter administer to them. Furthermore, let not the deacons sit among the presbyters, for that is contrary to canon and order. And if, after this decree, any one shall refuse to obey, let him be deposed from the diaconate.

One wonders how the word “inferiors” made it to a Christian document in 4th Century, and how this rule of sitting in groups fits with Paul.

Death with dignity: the ultimate human right?

The medical establishment’s narrow view of there being only one way to handle the dying patient–by using every last resource available to try to save her or him–has greatly hindered the quality of our deaths. Physicians are trained to believe that they have done their job only if every last measure is taken, regardless of what value this saps from the patient’s quality of life. This is the model by which the medical establishment measures its success.

What is needed is a paradigm shift in the educational curriculum of medical schools. No one can place value on what any individual considers to be “quality of life” because we all have different bodily functions that we consider more important than others. What one person considers an extraordinary means of intervention, another may see as typical. Furthermore, what is extraordinary at one point in history isn’t necessarily extraordinary at another time.

via Death with dignity: the ultimate human right? – The Popular Condition – Brief Article – Editorial | Humanist | Find Articles at BNET.

The Alban Institute

If you want to move the world, move a congregation. The Alban Institute was founded in 1974 as a major resource for American congregations facing the challenges of a changing society. While today’s challenges are even more pressing than they were three decades ago, the opportunities have never been clearer for congregations to be vital communities of faith, health, and leadership. Alban stands at the forefront of knowledge and experience regarding congregational vitality and positive trends across denominations and faith traditions. Our work is helping shape the strong congregations of tomorrow.

via The Alban Institute – About Alban.

Beyond Strategic Control: Applying the BSC to a Religious Organization

Kaplan and Norton have provided a framework to link control to an organization’s vision-the balanced scorecard. This approach provides measures in four areas: (1) Customer, (2) Internal Business, (3) Innovation and Learning and (4) Financial. This article provides a starting point in adapting this method to a church by looking at four measurement perspectives: (1) Members/Attenders, (2) Internal Ministry Processes, (3) Ministering, and (4) Innovation and Learning. An example is then developed using a church’s mission and vision.

via Beyond Strategic Control: Applying the Balanced Scorecard to a Religious Organization – Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing.

Hans Kung: happy to stay in the church

Why do I remain in the church? Because of the just foundations of the church. I am inspired by Jesus Christ himself, his Spirit. I do not live as a solitary individual. I stay in a community, my community of faith. Wherever I go–Japan, Pakistan–I always find people of my community. This is the community in which I was born and baptized, in which I have had so many positive experiences, a community of 2,000 years. Why should I be alienated from this? As a Canadian you may have some problems with your government but you will not go away seeking a better country. I shall remain in the Catholic Church and in Christianity.

via Hans Kung: happy to stay in the church; happy to change it – page 2 | Catholic New Times.

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Few years ago I wrote a short presentation about the theologian Hans Kung for a class in Systematic Theology. I decided to focus on his connection to the RCC, and his connection to the current pope. Here are few links on articles.

Triangle Foundation

When I attended a course in Detroit in 2008, we meet with representatives from various groups that are trying to change the life of individuals and communities for the better. An example of that:

It is the mission of Triangle Foundation to promote equality and to secure freedom from violence, intimidation and discrimination for LGBT persons throughout Michigan.

We visited a community center in Detroit that had no markings on the outside do to intimidation towards LGBTQ. We heard about Ruth Ellis Center and their work with homeless LGBTQ teenagers and young adults.

There we were introduced to the “Heterosexual Questionnaire” that is a very helpful tool to address issues about sexuality. The questionnaire is found in various forms. Examples are 1, 2, 3 and 4.

More about Triangle Foundation can be found at www.tri.org.

The Story According to Halldor Elias

My Hotel Room (Photo: Doug Hill)

This text might change as I go through the story and continue to remember more and more details of what happened (last edit 2/12). The picture is of my hotel room two days after the earthquake.

It was Tuesday January 12, 2010 at 4:50pm. I stood in the Courtyard of Hotel Florita in Jacmel, Haiti and had just finished writing a response on my Facebook page. Continue reading The Story According to Halldor Elias