Tag: exams

An update…

So, unlike all the other bloggers in Australian Christendom, or whatever sector of the blogosphere I occupy… I’m not taking any time off blogging wise over Christmas. In fact. I suspect a lack of sleep will mean I’ll be blogging more. Because blogging is what I do when I sit in front of the TV…

There are some big things on the horizon though. For Clan Campbell. Changes are afoot. We’re having a baby – any time in the next couple of weeks (or up until Christmas, if he/she really doesn’t want to come out). We’re moving house (not sure where yet). We’re changing churches (and sadly ending our time working for Andrew and Simone). But we’re off to Creek Road. Which will be different. I’m planning to hand in my last couple of pieces of college assessment for the year this week. We’re having a little holiday with family on Stradbroke Island at some stage in the next fortnight. And umm. I’ll be watching lots of cricket. Playing some Assassins Creed: Revelations. And eating banana paddle-pops. Also, my sister and her man became engaged today. So that’s also cool and newsworthy.

I blogged some coffee stuff at thebeanstalker.com this week (and I’ll post this semester’s essays up there when they’re all done and dusted), and some study notes at Venn Theology. And you canorder some roasted coffee with a “Really Useful Gift” kicker through the St. Eutychus Coffee Roastery between now and Christmas…

All in all a pretty busy couple of months in the pipeline – especially if you throw in a little bit of PR consulting (you can check out nathancampbell.com.au too, if you want to sling some work my way/me to sling some PR work your way…).

November 27, 2011

Last exam today

Today is D Day. Or ד ים. I have my final exam for the year, and despite being on the last day possible it’s the exam I feel least prepared for. I think I only need to get thirty percent in the exam in order to pass… so I should be ok. But remind me next year not to neglect my languages for the sake of my essays.

Oh. And if you’re the praying type – 10am. I’d appreciate it.

Don’t pray that I get what I deserve, pray for mercy.

November 19, 2010

Thrilling News

Dear readers,

Thank you for your patience with my excruciating number of exam related posts in the last two weeks. My fellow students like it, and it helps me to clarify my thoughts.

You will be glad to know that other than a couple of Greek posts I might make in the next day or two, the exam related content is over and done with for another nine months.

I now return you to the regular irregularity that is st-eutychus.com.

Regards,

Nathan

November 16, 2010

Bloggernation

Ben likes making up portmanteuas to describe blogging. See his latest work here in this handy post about not letting the lack of blog love get you down. So here’s mine. Bloggernation – it’s where a blogger appears to go into hibernation.

I don’t think I’ve ever written one of those “I’m sorry I haven’t posted here for a while” posts. And I don’t really plan too start now. But if I were to not blog so much in the next three weeks (or if I were to blog exclusively about boring stuff like what I’m studying) please understand it’s not because I hate you, but because I love my fellow students and like the idea of passing (and possibly the idea of helping others pass to).

I’m also still playing around with the design. Bear with me on that too, and no doubt I’ll be procrastinating here in the coming days and weeks. And I’ll try to comment on your blogs occasionally – rather than just arguing with atheists for the sake of arguing, or perhaps more correctly, for the intellectual stimulation (even though I said I wouldn’t do that any more).

I do love a good procrastinargument. Anybody got a topic they want to thresh out?

Expect a lot of blists (blog lists) and blictures (posts almost entirely made up of a picture) to tide me over.

October 20, 2010

Biblical Theology: Tying it all together

So, in summary, if I was answering a question like “how is Biblical Theology useful for understanding the Old Testament?” I would make the following points (probably with reference to Goldsworthy, Scobie, Dumbrell and Demster):

1. It grounds us in the notion that the Bible is a unified text not a hodgepodge of disparate parts strung together because no other documents existed.

2. It puts other forms of literary criticism in their place as subsets of this view (here I would reference Von Rad, Brueggemann, Barr, the documentary hypothesis and anything else that would demonstrate I knew what was at stake in terms of viewing the Bible as a loose collection of texts).

3. It helps us chart the development of God’s redemptive plans for creation from go to woe. Starting with creation and the fall, through the creation of his people with covenant obligations, the development of kingship, and ultimately culminating with the new creation and Jesus as king.

4. It reminds us that themes carry on, and develop through the Biblical text that are helpful for guiding our exegesis and our preaching.

None of the ideas put forward as unifying concepts for the Bible are entirely satisfying on their own, they all miss something of the complexity of the text (any simplification or summary will inherently do that), but they all play a role in shaping our interpretation. Pointing out linking themes is useful. Provided you don’t want to turn it into the only thread that holds the Bible together.

June 9, 2010

Old Testament 101

Greek is done and dusted. So now its on to the Old Testament. Which I like. Much. Much more. I dug up some past exam questions in the library today, and our exam is on Thursday, so I’m thinking I might engage in a little learning through blogging exercise…

Our first Old Testament subject covers Genesis to 2 Samuel (I think). Which means the following academic “chestnuts” are sure to feature strongly:

1. The creation account(s)
2. The flood (though this has been covered by an essay topic)
3. Something about the covenant promises to Abraham.
4. The patriachs/creation of a nation.
5. Something about the law
6. Something about violence (though this has also been covered by an essay topic)
7. Something about the historicity of the Genesis-Joshua accounts of occupation of the promised land.
8. Something about Judges
9. Something about Biblical theology
10. Something about kingship (1-2 Samuel, and probably, to a lesser extent, Judges).
10. Something about the documentary hypothesis (source criticism), form criticism, sociological criticism, literary criticism etc or the structure of the Pentateuch…

There’ll be eight questions, we’re expected to answer four. I like all of these topics. Does anybody have any recommended readings for the next 32 hours that will see me through?

June 8, 2010

Studying Pokemon leads to exam failure

I’m not a Pokemon fan at all. That’s one Japanese fad that passed me by. I do know that drawing Pokemon characters on your exam paper is not a shortcut to success. Especially if your teacher can out fox you (or out Pokemon you) as was the case for this mathlete…

December 21, 2009