J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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Informal learning in seminary
One of the things I love about seminary is the opportunity for informal relationally-centered learning.
When most people think of seminary they think mostly of the formal, official learning spaces that exist (lectures, class time, paper writing, book reading, etc). But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the personal interaction with my classmates before, during and after class. It may sound ironic, but I’ve learned quite a bit at Biblical Seminary in the 10- and 15-minute breaks that happen during class times. Some people learn best by themselves, but I’ve grown to realize that I learn best in community. I learn the rhythms and context of my classmates by talking with them by the vending machine, in the hallway and yes (dare I say it) at the urinal.More specifically, I learn a lot from my classmates through in-class discussion. When students share their thoughts, ask questions, push back on the professor and/or other students or say, “tell me more what you mean…” Its not to minimize what the professors are saying, but its to realize that facilitation and discussion – learning from each other – is just as important. When this happens, seminary education is extremely rich, deep, experiential.
I learn by the large percentage of minorities in my class (mostly Korean and African). I wished they shared more of their experience and thoughts with the class because its important – for me, for us, for the body of Christ – to learn about the various expressions and approaches to God and the Kingdom.
I learn from other pastors and ministers – leaders who work in various settings (downtown Manhattan, on college campuses, in secular environments and in their own homes) in full-time vocational ministry. One campus pastor asked me to go out for a beer with him after class to hang out and learn more about our stories. These opportunities enhance seminary immensely.
But I also learn a great deal from people in my class who are not in – nor do they plan to be – in full-time paid vocational ministry. Some are full-time students. One of my classmates is a mechanic, I believe.
In fact, the person I’ve enjoyed getting to know the most this semester is the guy who sits next to me. He’s in his early 30s, lives an hour and a half away from campus and is a full-time licensed funeral home director. Much of his week includes embalming corpses, preparing for viewings and helping grieving families pick out caskets and grave plots for the funeral…and complete a reading on Calvin and submit a two-page paper on his interpretation of Scripture. Talk about someone who has some rich perspective on trying to join with what God is already doing in the world in order to seek the kingdom! I could talk with him for hours. He’s a great thinker – very articulate – who is trying to write a book on his thoughts on faith through the perspective of the death he sees as a funeral home director. He’s even sent me the manuscript. The thing needs to be published. We’re trying to set up a time for he and his wife to come over for dinner before class one evening.
My seminary education is solid with the formal spaces of learning. But the informal spaces – the friendships, the conversations, the hallway chats – are the elements that form me deeply.