Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Now Everyone Can Be Masters Of Theology!

Kar Yong's Homilia is heating up with Lexicons for biblical studies, openings for Templeton Award and news about Karen Armstrong's public lecture!

But closer to home, he wrote a thought-provoking (tongue-in-cheek) piece on Now Everyone Can BE Masters of Theology!

AirAsia pioneered low cost travel in this region, and with their low airfare (well, not exactly low after taking into account the taxes, fuel surcharges and administrative fees that are added to the airfare), "now everyone can fly."

Well, what about theological studies? What if a rigorous post-graduate theological degree is made available with hardly any entrance requirements? Would you believe that one day it would come when we could finally say, "Now everyone can Master of Theology"?


By the way, have Masters of Divinity (M.Div) really achieved divinity status?? Join in the fray here

PUBLIC LECTURE BY KAREN ARMSTRONG ON “THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) together with International Movement for a Just World (JUST), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) are co-organizing the above lecture on Saturday 16 June 2007, 10.00 am at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur .

Admission is free.

If you and your friends are interested in attending the above lecture please contact Puan Shazatul (IDFR) – Tel: 21491018 / 21491000 Email: shazatul@idfr.gov.my.

Karen Armstrong is one of the world’s leading commentators on religious affairs. She is a best-selling author, whose books have been translated into forty languages. Her early work focused on the monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but she has since begun to explore the eastern religions. Her work is scholarly but written for the general reader, and has been appreciated not only by western audiences but also by Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. She is a broadcaster, columnist, and is much sought after throughout the world as a public speaker. Her focus is not only on theology and spirituality but on the political implications of faith in the modern world.

Her books include: A History of God [1993], which became an international bestseller; Jerusalem, One City, Three Faiths [1996]; The Battle for God, A History of Fundamentalism [2000]; Islam, A Short History [2000]; Buddha (2001); The Spiral Staircase: A Memoir (2004); A Short History of Myth (2005).The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions (2006); and finally Muhammad: A Prophet for our Time (2006).

Since September 11, 2001, however, she has become chiefly known for her work on Islam and Fundamentalism, particularly in the United States.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is Kar Yong aware that some board members of that "seminary" is also sitting on NECF's board?

keropok lekor said...

It will be interesting to know what's their response if they happen to read this post.

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of 'democratization' of theology, like wat Newbigin said about empowering the laity (the rakyat) to challenge the assumptions in their spheres of influence...

the concern tat kar yong highlighted is not to give a misleading impression with the 'titles' :)