The Apostle Paul and My Athena Within

Can I even begin to tell you how great of a night I had ?!!??!!? I (finally) had my guest lecture and led the 3 hour lecture/class discussion for Corinne's Advanced Elective class at DePaul's SNL on Paul, the Acts of the Apostles, and Paul's letter to the Romans tonight. It was everything I had imagined it to be! The students were engaged...I had prepped well...it was great to work in info on the Stoics and on Homer...I was on a cloud. The second half of the class took on a life of it's own, yet it revolved around the text too!

The best part was when I debriefed with Corinne after class about how it went from her perspective and she said, "I absolutely trust that when you are in charge of the class that what needs to happen will happen!" She also said, "You should feel really great about how it went tonight!" That was so great to hear from my mentor!

The process of preparation was lengthy. I have been studying up since July in an on-again-off-again fashion. It was so fulfilling to have the group participate and share and engage in lively discourse! I love being in school and I think I love being in the front of a classroom more than being in the seat!

My "Athena within" was front and center tonight!

I continue to be amazed....

I think most everyone has heard the phrase, "If not now, when?" For some reason, I thought this was some 20th century self-help, take action, coaching phrase.

In my recent listening to some lectures on CD by New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, I learned that this quote is from the famous Pharisee Hillel, back in the days of the early first century C.E.:

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, then what am I?
And if not now, when?"

I just love this stuff!

Speaking of Victor...

From my paper for this quarter: "I assert that if we did not have language, the word “different” would not have multiple meanings. For example, in the case of Levi-Strauss, “primitive” could have a negative connotation, but he is clear in stating that the others are simply without the function of writing their language. In addition, it is careful use of language that has Levi-Strauss define that primitive simply means ‘without writing’. Only when man begins to understand that there are differences in things through communication, there is the issue of property, material possessions, and the importance that they play in the inequalities of life. We also see this in the Monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein."

Just for the record....

I HAVE indeed noticed that all of the authors for my course this quarter are old white men with beards..... Nothing more for me to say about that right now! (Especially after reading two weeks of Freud.)

The meaning of life is on p. 131

I pulled my Viktor Frankl book off the shelf the other day after having lunch with the wise professor that led my course on the Holocaust two years ago. The line I love so much is on p. 131: "One should not search for an abstract meaning of life.
Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment." I think I might be starting to discover that for myself...

Oopsie Daisy

Claude Levi-Strauss is an anthropologist. We had two texts from him to read. I mistakenly thought it was two texts across two weeks. It was both texts for ONE week. That would bave been LAST Saturday. Uh-oh! I missed out on his trip to Brazil in Tristes Tropique. Bert went through it fairly well so I feel like I had a reading vacation last week. Next up: Sigmund Freud. (Two texts across two weeks...I asked!) If I were to miss one, I am guessing this was the one to miss. (I wonder if it was a Freudian slip?!?)