(Educational Institution)
Theology Expectations
Theology is a new avenue for me. This is not a typical class that is taught in every school. I do think that this class will be more than another set of credits on a transcript. I do believe that there is some very valuable information to be learned from this course and I am ready and willing to go forward. I have always been one to take my spiritual and religious beliefs seriously, but this new approach is already something different and interesting.
I have high hopes for this course in the next five weeks. Religion has always been one of those things that I explored only in church. That is where I have learned everything about religion. Though it has always been organized and structured, I am very curious to see the academic angle of religion. I find it interesting to know that academic learning theory can be applied to religion and the study of it.
I never gave much thought to the conceptual process of religions. I feel that way, simply because I have always been educated about these things through a holy book. I never gave much thought to the bias that can be in a holy book. As of now, my understanding of theology is on a very elementary level. I do plan on soaking up all of the information from this class. I am curious as to whether or not it will have an impact on my person views in regards to spiritual/religious beliefs.
All learning, regardless of the subject, is a journey. And as of now, I am all for learning new things. I am very intrigued by what theology has to teach me. I am willing to learn the facts and adjust my way of thinking accordingly. Something may change my life, I am willing for find out. I am rather excited about the information that I will be taught.
Intentions of Applying New Knowledge
I know that the journey with theology will only get deeper. I have so far, been enjoying that fact that religion and spirituality can be approached in a school setting. I feel like we have only barely scratched the surface this week. I think that so many more ideas, thoughts, and preconceptions will be challenged. I am not opposed to that because I feel like learning is a part of growing. One that grows is able to become the best version of themselves, and that is what I plan to do. A person should never become closed off to potentially enlightening information. My goal is to become more knowledgeable with this class and hopefully adopt some new ways of thinking.
The things we learned this week were a good foundation. I learned about the different ways that God reveals himself. That was in chapter 9. That will help me to understand the nature of his divinity as the studies progress. I enjoyed learning about the inspiration for the bible in chapter 10. Chapter 11 was closely in conjunction with chapter 10. Both spoke about inspiration for the principles in the bible. That’s pivotal for understanding the purpose of any lessons that the bible has to teach. Also, it helps to illustrate the motivations of the characters from the bible. Chapters 12 and 13 discussed whether or not the bible is infallible. It helped me to understand why a person would believe it is, and why a person would think that it is not. Going forward, I think it will permit me to understand the flexibility that others have when it comes to interpreting the bible. I am sure that consequent lessons will be clearer because I know the groundwork that they are pulling from. Therefore, I am prepared to go forward with the next lessons.
There are more facets to religious studies that I ever would have though. That fact alone, is intriguing to me. Religion is not a one-trick-pony that I always perceived it to be. I don’t mean that in a negative way either. It is interesting to know that religions have political undertones to them. They do serve to govern the public on a spiritual and realistic level. I know that they serve to appeal to the morality in people. I now know that religion can serve for the good of people, and it can also be used as a weapon. However, this knowledge will leave me open as we go forward with more lessons in this class.
