Teaching Creation: A Modular Approach

Abstract. The present article describes a modular approach to teaching Genesis 1–3 that values depth over breadth even in an introductory class. The module allows students to learn about the text and its original context by orienting discussion around contemporary issues of practical concern. Specifically, the creation‐evolution debates provide an opportunity for students to learn about contemporary political, social, and legal implications of interpreting Genesis 1–3. The conflict of traditional and modern values emerges also in issues surrounding gender and autonomy in Genesis 2–3. This pedagogical approach challenges various student worldviews to promote discussion and greater intellectual sophistication. The correlation of the text with ongoing contemporary issues engages student interest and motivates learning. It also allows the class to explore both the ancient text and its interpretation in diverse communities. Finally, the module allows considerable flexibility for student and teacher interest and the needs of a given class. Several additional resources related to this article appear online at: http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/journal/article.aspx?id=11063 . These include (1) a schedule of possible readings, assignments, and lesson plans, (2) selections from ancient commentary on Genesis 2–3 from scattered sources, and (3) a bibliographic essay noting the usefulness of selected resources related to the module.     

Book reviews

Ulanov, Ann & Barry., Transforming Sexuality. The Archetypal World of Anima and Animus.
Ulanov, Ann Belford., The Functioning Transcendent: A Study in Analytical Psychology.
Von Franz, Marie-Louise., Archetypische Dimensionen der Seele. [Archetypal Dimensions of the Soul.]
Stevens, Anthony & Price, John., Evolutionary Psychiatry: A New Beginning.
Field, Nathan., Breakdown and Breakthrough: Psychotherapy in a New Dimension.
Tacey, David J., Remaking Men: Jung, Spirituality and Social Change.
Lopez-Pedraza, Rafael., Anselm Kiefer: 'After the Catastrophe'.
Diamond, Stephen A., Anger, Madness and the Daimonic: The Psychological Genesis of Violence, Evil and Creativity.     

Jesus the Teacher

One of the strongest portraits of Jesus in the Gospels is that of a teacher (Lee, 1988).¹ Other than the title “Lord,” people call Jesus “Teacher” more often than any other epithet in the New Testament, and often with a great deal of respect and admiration (Mark 10:17; Matt 22:16).² Jesus also calls himself a “teacher.” In the story of the preparation for the Last Supper, for example, Jesus instructs his disciples to find a room for the paschal meal and to tell the owner that “the teacher” has need of it (Mark 14:14; Matt 26:18; Luke 22:11). Apart from the portrayal of him as an infant, the earliest picture we have of him is the episode of the 12-year-old Jesus amazing the teachers in the temple with his learning (Luke 2:46-47). Other depictions include the itinerant Jesus teaching multitudes (Matt 5–7), individuals (John 3 and 4), adversaries (Luke 15), and disciples (Mark 4:10-20, 33–34; 7:17-23; 10:10-11,23-31). He teaches in the temple (Matt 26:55; Mark 1117; John 7:14), in synagogues (Matt 4:23; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:15; John 6:59), in houses (Mark 7:17-18; 9:28), from a boat (Luke 5:3), on the hillside (Matt 5:1-2), at a well (John 4:7-30), at table (Luke 7:36-50),on the road (Luke 24:13-32), and by the shore (Mark 2:13; 4:1). In other words, Jesus teaches people wherever he is and wherever they are. In fact, Matt 26:55 evidences that Jesus taught on a daily basis. Today, in the Western world this traveling teacher is considered the most famous pedagogue (Highet, 1950, 190). With these thoughts in mind, let's (1) examine the words used to specify “teacher” in the ancient world and show how Jesus both corresponds to and differs from the perceptions this title implies, (2) suggest some teaching methods used by Jesus, and (3) propose a way modern teachers can learn from him.     

Necessary Difference: A Sermon

The following is a sermon preached by Nathan Carlin at St. John’s Church (United Church of Christ) in Houston, Texas, on January 27, 2013. In line with the conference theme—body/soul, spirit/flesh, self/other—the sermon focuses on several verses in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth in which Paul discusses the Church as the Body of Christ. The sermon text (1 Cor. 12:12–27) was not chosen because the author was still thinking about the conference theme (the conference, as noted, took place on October 17–19, 2012); this text simply happened to be the lectionary passage assigned to the date. In the sermon, the biblical text, the psychological concept of “the narcissism of minor differences,” and a story from the author’s childhood (a story about Bible quiz competitions) are interwoven. The author felt that such a topic was appropriate for St. John’s Church because the church, on the day that the sermon was delivered, was scheduled to meet about the topic of confirmation classes for youth. All of this is to say that sermons are often expressions of pastoral theology because sermons, while inherently theological, are also pastoral in that they are addressed to specific audiences and focus on matters that the preacher discerns to be of existential concern, both collectively and individually, for those whom the preacher is addressing. In terms of method and style, this sermon was written following the technique of Robert Dykstra as articulated in his Discovering a Sermon: Personal Pastoral Preaching.     

NAMING THE HUMAN ANIMAL: GENESIS 1–3 AND OTHER ANIMALS IN HUMAN BECOMING

Recently the paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman has proposed what she calls the animal connection as the human trait that connects all other traits. Theologians and biblical scholars have proposed many relational, functional, and ontological interpretations of the image of God in humans and human nature, but have generally not included a connection with animals. Genesis 1–3, however, weaves human and animal creation in a variety of ways, and Adam's naming of other species implies they are understood as family or kin. Thus Genesis 1–3 understands a relationship with other animals as integral to human becoming and uses family or kinship as a root metaphor for human–animal relations.     

轻度认知功能障碍患者工作记忆中 脑电能量及皮质联络功能的变化特征

探讨轻度认知功能障碍患者（MCI）工作记忆状态下脑电能量及皮质联络功能的变化特征。被试为从社区选取的35名轻度认知功能障碍患者和34名健康志愿者。采用简单计算回忆方法,结果发现工作记忆加工过程中会引起4.0~18.0Hz范围内功率值的改变,且MCI组高于正常对照组;MCI患者在中央、顶、颞叶的半球间相干系数均显著高于正常对照组。研究结果提示MCI患者可能存在中央、顶、颞叶皮层的功能减退,工作记忆状态下通过代偿机制仍能维持加工的有效性     

Book Reviews

Sue Walrond-Skinner (Ed.), Family and Marital Psychotherapy—A Critical Approach
Emily and John Visher, Stepfamilies: A Guide to Working with Step-parents and Step-children
J. P. Forgas, Social Episodes: A Study of Interaction Routines
Michael Lewis and Leonard A. Rosenblum (Eds), The Child and His Family, Series: Genesis of Behaviour
Robert E. Grinder, Adolescence
Maurizio Andolfi, Family Therapy. An Interactional Approach     

Configurations of Rape: Some Issues for ConversationConfigurations of Rape in the Hebrew Bible: A Literary Analysis of Three Rape Narratives – By Frank M. Yamada

While I am in much agreement with Frank Yamada's analysis and reading of the Genesis 34, Judges 19, and 2 Samuel 13 as rape narratives, in that all three texts show a ‘family resemblance’, this review essay is an attempt to engage his work in a conversation by discussing the following issues: (1) his use of ‘family resemblance’; (2) common authorship; (3) insider–outsider category; (4) 2 Samuel 11 as a rape narrative; (5) theological and ethical implications of such readings.     

A Letter to Mom During CPE

This article is a fictional letter. A seminarian writes to his mother during his Clinical Pastoral Education internship at a mental hospital, and the letter raises a number of issues, including the nature of the Bible, the essence of salvation (and Hell), the role of evangelism, and the sexual dynamics of the counseling relationship. William James’s The Varieties of Religious Experience is mentioned, and cultural questions regarding psychology are raised. There are other avenues to be explored, but the reader might start by reflecting on the issues noted.Nathan S. Carlin has been a graduate student at Princeton Seminary and has worked closely with Donald Capps and Robert Dykstra, leading scholars in the field of pastoral psychology. Carlin has published numerous articles as a Master of Divinity student. He is now a graduate student in Religious Studies at Rice University. Correspondence to Nathan Steven Carlin, 1515 Bissonnet Street, Unit 186, Houston, TX 77005-1629, USA; e-mail: Nathan.Carlin@rice.edu     

Individual strategy preferences and decisional fit

The present research introduces the concept of decisional fit. A decision maker experiences decisional fit when the individually preferred decision strategy fits the actually applied strategy. In accordance to other fit‐concepts in psychology (e.g., person–environment fit), we expected positive effects of decisional fit. Five studies examine the effects of a fit between the individual preference for intuition and deliberation (PID) and the actually used decision strategy (intuition or deliberation). A comparison of extreme types (according to participants' values on the PID scale) revealed that decisional fit enhances the perceived value of the chosen or evaluated object (Studies 1–3). In Studies 4 and 5, participants experienced less regret after decisional fit. The findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences when comparing intuitive and deliberate decision making, because strategy preferences interact with applied strategies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于认知诊断测评的个性化补救教学效果分析：以“一元一次方程”为例

基于“为学习而测评”理念,以促进学生学习为目的,本研究进行了基于认知诊断测评的个性化补救教学效果分析。首先,以“一元一次方程”章节为例,编制两份平行的认知诊断测评试卷。然后,通过对不同地区（城市和农村）七年级学生的施测与分析,发现城市学生对属性的掌握情况优于农村学生对属性的掌握情况。之后,选择农村学生为补救对象,通过对比基于认知诊断测评和传统教学两种个性化补救教学的效果,发现两种补救教学方法均能提高学习成绩,但前者的补救效果显著优于后者的。总之,本研究结果表明采用基于认知诊断测评的个性化补救教学能够有效促进学生学习,为实践者应用认知诊断测评促进学生学习提供了实践依据。     

Luther,Calvin and Musculus on Abraham's Trial: Exegetical History and the Transformation of Genesis 22

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine the exegetical history of Genesis 22, and particularly the contributions of Martin Luther, John Calvin and Wolfgang Musculus to that history. It focuses on a specific issue with which these, and other, interpreters grappled, namely, the issue of how one ought to understand the character of Abraham's trial. The article maps out different answers given to this question from Philo to the Reformation towards the end of demonstrating the spirited creativity of the aforementioned trio of interpreters.     

不同认知方式个体抑制歧义词不适当意义的机制

本试验采用固定速的移动窗口范式和意义适合性判断任务,考察场依存、场独立个体抑制句子中歧义词不适当意义的机制以及歧义词歧义消解的进程。结果表明：不同认知方式个体在抑制句子中歧义词不适当意义的时间进程上存在差异,与场依存者相比,场独立者能够较早地抑制歧义的干扰;同时,本研究证明歧义词的多个意义首先激活,然后与语境不一致的意义得到抑制,研究结果支持词汇歧义消解的多重通达模型。     

Review Essay

Belief in God in an Age of Science , by John Polkinghorne
Genes, Genesis and God: Values and their Origins in Natural and Human History , by Holmes Rolston, III
The Genetic Gods: Evolution and Belief in Human Affairs , by John C. Avise     

Socialization and cognition in children between the age of 18 and 24 months

A cross-cultural study of mother–child dyads was set up to test the hypothesis that sociocultural differences, mediated by variations of maternal intervention, influence the way in which the child manipulates objects and, thereby, his cognitive and social competences. Two series of observations were conducted with three groups of children aged 18–24 months (15 from the American middle class, 15 from French families and 15 from North African families—the last two groups both underprivileged): (a) ‘naturalistic’ observations of two systems of interaction (child–mother and child–children interaction) showed that each child is characterized by one type of object manipulation (protected, induced, activated or autonomous) and that maternal intervention varies with the sociocultural background; assessment of the child's behavioural sequences unravelled his strategies for solving and avoiding conflicts with his peers; (b) observations of the child with a standardized material permitted an evaluation of his cognitive competences for spontaneous problem-solving. Regarding the assumptions of our hypothesis, the results furnish the following conclusions: (1) social and cognitive competences are related to the object manipulation type. In all samples, children characterized by ‘activated’ and ‘autonomous’ manipulation obtain the better results; (2) maternal intervention differs among the samples depending on the sociocultural background; these differences (limitation and physical contact) do not correspond to differences in types of manipulation; (3) type of manipulation is an interactive construction; it characterizes the functioning of the mother–child dyad and its prevailing dynamics between permanence and change. ©1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Buridan's Solution to the Liar Paradox

Jean Buridan has offered a solution to the Liar Paradox, i.e. to the problem of assigning a truth-value to the sentence ‘What I am saying is false’. It has been argued that either (1) this solution is ad hoc since it would only apply to self-referencing sentences [Read, S. 2002. ‘The Liar Paradox from John Buridan back to Thomas Bradwardine’, Vivarium, 40 (2), 189–218] or else (2) it weakens his theory of truth, making his ‘a logic without truth’ [Klima, G. 2008. ‘Logic without truth: Buridan on the Liar’, in S. Rahman, T. Tulenheimo and E. Genot, Unity, Truth and the Liar: The Modern Relevance of Medieval Solutions to the Liar Paradox, Berlin: Springer, 87–112 (Chapter 5); Dutilh Novaes, C. 2011. ‘Lessons on truth from mediaeval solutions to the Liar Paradox’, The Philosophical Quarterly, 61 (242), 58–78]. Against (1), I will argue that Buridan's solution by means of truth by supposition does not involve new principles. Self-referential sentences force us to handle supposition more carefully, which does not warrant the accusation of adhoccery. I will also argue, against (2), that it is exaggerated to assert that this solution leads to a ‘weakened’ theory of truth, since it is consistent with other passages of the Sophismata, which only gives necessary conditions for the truth of affirmative propositions, but sufficient conditions for falsity.     

REVIEWS

JAMES FITZJAMES STEPHEN AND THE CRISIS OF VICTORIAN THOUGHT, by James A Colaiaco. Macmillan Press , pp
THEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS. Vol XV: Penance in the Early Church by Karl Rahner, trans. by Lionel Swain. DLT , London
LOWER THAN THE ANGELS – Questions Raised by Genesis 1 - 11, by Anthony Phillips. Bible Reading Fellowship , 1983. pp
TRINITY AND TEMPORALITY, by John J O'Donnell S J. Oxford University Press , 1983. pp
LUTHER: A LIFE, by John M Todd. Hamish Hamilton , 1982, pp     

‘Infinity Means it Goes on Forever’: Siblings' Informal Teaching of Mathematics

Sibling‐directed teaching of mathematical topics during naturalistic home interactions was investigated in 39 middle‐class sibling dyads at two time points. At time 1 (T1), siblings were 2 and 4 years of age, and at time 2 (T2), siblings were 4 and 6 years of age. Intentional sequences of sibling‐directed mathematical teaching were coded for (i) topics (e.g., number), (ii) contexts (e.g., play with materials/toys), and (iii) type of knowledge (conceptual and procedural). Siblings engaged in teaching number, geometry, and measurement at T1 and demonstrated preliminary evidence of teaching of grouping, relations, and operations at T2. Regarding context, at T1, mathematical teaching occurred most frequently during play with materials/toys, while at T2, games with rules were prominent. Teaching of conceptual or procedural knowledge varied over time and by topic and context. Findings are discussed in light of recent work on understanding children's mathematical knowledge as it develops in the informal family context. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Immersion Experience: Lessons from Study Abroad in Religion

This paper discusses strategies I employed during seven years of teaching within a study abroad program focusing on religion. This year‐long program traveled to four Asian countries and included immersion experiences in monasteries, ashrams, and other religious institutions. I identify four principles and discuss accompanying exercises that guided my teaching: (1) Accept and observe anxiety. Inability to understand is a sign that direct and deep contact is taking place. (2) Educate about education. Help students to see the aims, assumptions, and context of the teaching strategies religious practitioners employ. (3) Make it practical. Devise exercises that students can do and do well and that do not demand synthetic, systematic comprehension even as a goal. (4) Stop making sense. Build pauses and breaks into the train of reflection on the meaning of experience. These spaces give room for the shifts in the ways of learning that study abroad demands. This essay is published alongside of six other essays, including a response from John Barbour, comprising a special section of the journal (see Teaching Theology and Religion 18:1, January 2015).