My first class of the semester has met -- new seminar in Liberation Theologies of Latin America, Africa, and Asia (yes, all of them, or some of all of them; undergrad course) -- and here are our books:
Virginia Fabella and R.S. Sugirtharajah, eds., Dictionary of Third World Theologies (now out in paperback)
Gustavo Gutiérrez, Essential Writings, ed. James B. Nickoloff
Mercy Amba Oduyoye, Bead and Strands: Reflections of an African Woman on Christianity in Africa
Kwok Pui-lan, Introducing Asian Feminist Theology
Mev Puleo, The Struggle Is One: Voices and Visions of Liberation
Desmond Mpilo Tutu, Hope and Suffering: Sermons and Speeches
... and a reliable translation of the Bible for reference.
There will be articles too - on South African Black Theology, Filipino Theology of Struggle, et al.
Still working on other projects -- writing, church, diocesan convention, and various others. I need a personal assistant is what I need. Also some sleep. Hoping for a full night tonight. We'll see.
My godson is back in school also and I'm going to write him a "yay! team!" note.
What a great class that would be to take! I have a couple of the texts already. Color me green with envy of your students. Then again, I suspect you work them very hard. It's an ambitious class. But very exciting.
ReplyDeleteThink of taking it for Graduate credit; I almost took your friend Landau's course on Peacemaking, and may yet Audit formally.
ReplyDeleteMay as well.
Who me, working my students hard?! You know me too well. But I throw a great party for them at the end of the semester. I think I'm going to do it on Cinco de Mayo this year :-). It fits the semester schedule perfectly and due to the recent immigration here in Greensboro there are Mexican panaderias now and various eateries and tiendas.
ReplyDeleteJane, it sounds exhausting for you and your students, but exciting, too.
ReplyDeleteGrandmère, I went to bed around 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. Got a huge night of sleep except for the two hours of insomnia in the middle of the night worrying about everything; that hadn't happened to me in ages. But I did get back to sleep. So I got at least ten hours of sleep. Hurrah!
ReplyDeleteI work 'em hard, but I do try and offer lots of support as we go along. We have a nice little group in that class, and it's a seminar so it will be very participatory and they will also have room for quite a bit of independent work, which they enjoy.
Now I have to do diocesan things --and then get up in the morning and write; then I have a campus ministers' lunch and then teach my seminar and then have a department meeting with a huge agenda (mercifully I am NOT the chair) and then a faculty forum which I think we will have to skip because we have some urgent department things. Then I have a short rehearsal for people involved in the Vagina Monologues, which as you may know is always performed on college campus around Valentine's Day (okay, that one I volunteered for, it's only four weeks of rehearsals and since I am on the Women's Studies faculty and not just Religious Studies I really should be in that annual event, no? I've been here three years and it's the first time I've managed to do it; and the young women organizing it are fabulous) and then I eat a little supper and teach my evening class. Wednesday is the killer day.
Then Thursday it's a little more quiet. Just an independent study meeting and office hours and an evening class -- which is nearly three hours long and packed with students, but it only meets once a week and I have a wonderful teaching assistant who will help me with the busy-work and also with the students who will need some tutoring and coaching. She's a senior and has taken this class before as well as one of my other ones and she knows my quirks. (And she's still talking to me!)
Friday is the first day of our two-day Diocesan Convention. So much for my reserved-for-writing-and-research Fridays! Wouldn't you know the first week of school would be Convention week. That's what I get for being both Church Lady and Professor Jane. The real question is, what shall I wear?
Something designed to break hearts, I should think. Every straight man and lesbian in the room should take note and the gay men should all admire how it's accessorized. Church business should not excuse dowdiness. Stun them, my dear. At the end of the weekend you should have at least half a dozen new phone numbers. Being a lady you won't call, of course, but they will still be pining for you.
ReplyDeleteI'll second that, Paul.
ReplyDeleteJane, your life is even more exhausting and exciting than I thought. In comparison, my life is monastic - well, except for Grandpère and my time with les enfants.
ReplyDeletePaul, what inspirational advice!
Paul darling, have I ever told you I love you? I think this is perfect advice.
ReplyDeleteMore when I can. Recovering from the Killer Wednesday and trying to get ready for the second half of Thursday.
Dear Mimi, I yearn for a more monastic life these days -- though that is what I chose to have over most of the holidays and you see now why I chose it! I spent a lot of time alone with the cat (okay, and my blogging community) and had quiet and time to think and sleep.
ReplyDelete