A literature review locates your original research – the kind you’d write up in a thesis, dissertation or long essay – within the existing academic literature. What exactly is a literature review? It is a critical account of the most salient and relevant material published on a topic. It analyses and evaluates the literature to …
Everyone is a theologian
Welcome to The Theology Whisperer, a series of short blog posts on theology and theological education. Your contributions are important – please join the conversation! Those who know me in “real life,” and perhaps especially those who know me primarily on social media, will be aware that I love to cook. I have a lot …
How to balance family and thesis writing
So you're writing a thesis or dissertation, and you want your family and significant relationships to weather the storm. Sounds legit. Here are five points to achieve balance. It's not rocket science. 1. Identify the dynamics of your research project that work against a balanced life (they may not be obvious). 2. Clarify your goals, …
Why theological method matters
Summary of Brian Harris, "Why method matters: Insights from the theological method of Stanley J. Grenz," Crucible 2 (1), Nov 2009. Available here. Harris claims that evangelical Christians often view theological method as "the death of spiritual passion, and at best, a dangerous enterprise."[1] Similarly, Grenz and Franke note that while Theologians in mainline theological …
Wordle of my Master of Theology thesis
Here's a Wordle image of the full text of my 2010 Master of Theology thesis on "Aspects of social responsibility among Baptists in New South Wales 1834-2009." And here's a Wordle of the first and last chapters (i.e. minus the detailed description and analysis of archival sources), indicating some of the key ideas:
iDigress 