The Tablet, October 1, 2009

the

tablet

A branch of the WFU School of Divinity Keeping you informed

October 1, 2009

Volume 5, Issue 2

A whirlwind of refreshing preaching Barbara Brown Taylor teaches weekend class By Brian Layman Staff Writer

inside this issue 2 Student Spotlight: John Carter Faculty Journey: Marc Hirschman

3 Community in Review 4 Common Thread,

Worship Bulletin, Sincerely Sophia and Trivial Inquisition

5 Top Ten Superhero Powers

6 Entertainment

Last weekend the Wake Forest University School of Divinity was pleased to host Barbara Brown Taylor. Not only did Professor Taylor teach a weekend course entitled “Preaching From Scratch,” which was open to all divinity school students, but she also gave multiple lectures/sermons open to the public, culminating in her sermon Sunday night at “Worship in Wait.” Barbara Brown Taylor preached from Mark 9 challenging the audience to re-think their perceptions on who should be included in the Christian community and who should not. “I was extremely nervous and intimidated to take a preaching class with Barbara Brown Taylor. I never thought I would say that such a long class went by too fast, but it truly did. There is something so real and refreshing about Barbara Brown Taylor’s presence and the perspectives of the Gospel she brought to us. The moments of Sabbath she helped me

to experience gave me a chance to put everything else aside and seek after God. The weekend was exactly what I needed to get excited about life and Divinity School all over again,” said second-year student Shannon Axtell. “In full disclosure: I’m not a preacher, nor do I have aspirations to work in the pulpit. Yet, despite my initial concerns about whether I was suited for this type of course, I thought Barbara Brown Taylor’s lectures were both accessible and remarkably insightful,” remarked third-year student Adam Woods. Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest

who was ordained in 1984. She is an alumna of Yale Divinity School and in 1996, Baylor University named her one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English speaking world. She currently teaches World Religions at Piedmont College, a small rural university in northwest Georgia. Professor Taylor has written numerous books and articles. Her most recent publication An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith has been praised by Marcus Borg as “Elegant, wise, and insightful, this book is also sacramental: It mediates the life it describes.”

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The lawyer and the minister: an interview with John Carter By Ben Wright Staff Writer

“Getting to enjoy how you make your money is a luxury not everyone gets,” said third-year John Carter. “There’s a million ways to structure a life,” he later added. Many students know of this Owenton, Ky. native’s history in law, but that was not always the case. John Carter began his college career as a pre-med candidate at Samford University where he majored in English and minored in Biology. In November of his senior year, he took the LSATs in what he calls a “fluke.” His resultant scores were too high to disregard, so he applied to four schools at random. However, it wasn’t until he took a course in Cell Biology that he discerned the next step in his future. It was in this course that he realized that medical school

would be a lot of memorization, something that John does not like as much. “As an English major what I really like to do is to read and to analyze then to write and to communicate. Law school uses those skills in ways medicine doesn’t,” said Carter. John was accepted and attended Duke Law School following his graduation from Samford. After three years of judicial study, Carter moved to Nashville, Tenn. where he practiced

Faculty Journey By Pete Zimmerman Staff Writer

Wake Forest is glad to have Dr. Hirschman teaching here for part of the fall semester and we wanted to know a little more about him. Marc was born in Chicago and lived on the south side. In fact it was not far from where Michelle Obama grew up.” [She was] just a few blocks away though she would be much younger than I.” His extended family was a mixture of the different traditions in

Judaism. He went to private Jewish day schools through high school. He remembers going to conservative Jewish summer

law with a firm for several years. His focus was on federal civil litigation. In 2000, he left the firm and returned to Kentucky to work with his father, a county attorney. While he enjoyed working with his family, he still didn’t feel like the legal profession was the right fit for him. “In 2006, I felt a strong call to make what had been a background theme in my life come to the forefront,” said Carter. He began looking at divinity schools. Though he toured several, he only applied to one. John joined Wake Forest School of Divinity in the fall of 2007. “I can tell you that it means coming to claim a sense of promise about life that I have never experienced,” said Carter. John recalls that good friend and WFUSD alum Kevin Sinclair referred to Carter’s law experience as “soul crushing.” While Carter

wouldn’t use the same words, he did comment, “It is fair to say that I did not have the sense of excitement about the future, about my future . . . that I do now.” Carter went on to describe the summer after his calling as a pregnancy, and his time at WFUSD as the infancy; a period of rapid growth and being pulled in ways he hadn’t anticipated. “It has not always been fun, but it has always been fantastic,” said Carter. In addition to recalling class memories with professors like Crainshaw, Tupper, and Walls, John notes that the community that gets built outside of class is also an integral part of the experience. “I think First Street is almost like the Div. School Annex,” said Carter.” Outside of the Div. School, John likes to go to movies and run with his dog Scout.

Marc Hirschman camp but the day schools he attended were orthodox. “In those days the left wing orthodox was not too far from some elements of Conservative Judaism but that would not be as true today.” After high school Marc went to Columbia and studied history and also studied Talmud at the Jewish theological seminary. He went to Israel and studied at the graduate level for a few years, mostly studying Greek and Jewish thought. He then went and did his doctorate at Jewish theo-

logical and worked at Columbia teaching religion. After finishing his orals, he left for Israel in 1976. Dr. Hirschman is a dual citizen of the United States and Israel and currently teaches at Hebrew university of Jerusalem, which was founded in 1925. His dissertation was on a critical edition of the Midrash on Ecclesiastes so he has been working in Ecclesiastes for a long time. There were some technical reasons he chose Ecclesiastes but See Hirschman page 3

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Tomato soup, Cuban bread and the Beatitudes’ second meeting By Adam Huffman Staff Writer

For those of you who didn’t attend the Tuesday evening meeting of the Beatitudes Society, you should have been there. This was the second meeting this semester. With the menu of a home-made tomato basil soup, Cuban bread, and fine wines, it could easily be dubbed “The Finer Things Society Meeting,” but there is more than just a great meal. The Society gathers every other week to share

a meal but also to share in Scripture reading and reflection. The meeting participates in the practice of the lectio divina, which is a communal reading of the Scripture text by several voices. Believing that we all hear the passage differently, this communal reading allows each participant to share in the insights of the others present. The Beatitudes Society meets every other Tuesday at 5:30. Anyone interested can speak to Courtney Allen for more information. All are welcome.

Events and Announcements Birthdays Courtney Allen, October 6 Hilary Floyd, October 8 Lynn Rose, October 8 Ellen Sizemore, October 8 Activities Julius Pryor III, October 5 & 6, Contact Sister Larretta for more info

Beatitudes Society Meal & Contemplation, October 6, 5:30 p.m., at 114 Lindbergh St. Anniversaries? Special occasions? Accomplishments? Group meetings and events? Share events and announcements by emailing [email protected] Visit 336events.com for local events

Hirschman he says he was also as drawn to it. When he finished that he did post doctoral work at Cambridge where he studied the early church fathers. His first book was a comparison of patristic and rabbinic work on the bible, which was

from page 2 called The Rivalry of Genius. In discussing his career path he shared that he could have been a rabbi but opted not to seek that religious vocation. He knew he wanted to go to Israel and the need for rabbis in the United

Everything I touched would turn to red and purple skittles. - Bob Stillerman, First Year Like to fly anywhere; any time I wanted on my own schedule. - Courtney Allen, Third Year

States was pressing and the challenges facing Judaism and the Jewish people in America were great and he had many of his colleagues opt to work as rabbis here in America. Dr. Hirschman says the people of Winston

Q. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Remember everything that I have seen and read verbatim; perfect memory, and I would love to harness the power of a storm. -Jeremy Carlton, First Year.

have been wonderful and it is an extremely pretty area and quite relaxing. “For someone who comes from the Middle East you can’t know how important that is. And it is very collegial and the students have been good as well.”

Mind control and super speed. - Blake Miller, Second Year The ability to make fun of Blake Miller and to have Jason Apicella as my sidekick. - Scott Looney, Second Year

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Common Thread Seaming the Creative Soul

By Charles Smith Copy Editor

I love naps. There I said it. I have had plenty of conversations about the evils of naps. I have heard all the arguments against naps: they are counter-productive, they make you more tired, they waste precious time, they wrinkle your clothes and mess up your hair, and they give you nap-breath. Super Type A people (or Type A+ people if you will) absolutely despise naps for these reasons. Allow me to disagree. Naps should be an essential element in every Divinity student’s life. Whether or not naps actually solve sleepiness, they certainly are relaxing. How many of us spend the entire day/ week/semester stressed out of our minds? No one can function that way! A time of rest, or even a time of slow, methodic breathing, can work wonders for the spirit. God set the standard

for naps. God’s action in the world did not end with creation, so I don’t think of God’s post-creation Sabbath as an eschatological metaphor for what will happen at the end of life. Rather, the Sabbath is a time of rest that allowed God to recharge the divine battery before continuing in God’s work. God took some time out of God’s busy schedule for a little catnap (the cat, having just been created, was already napping). For you NT people, think of how many times Jesus just wanted to get away from everyone for some R&R. When he calmed the storm, he was just looking for a little peace and quiet so he could continue his nap. Follow the example! Spiritual well-being comes as a result of proper balance between rest and toil, relaxation and exertion. So don’t be ashamed to take that holy nap! In the dance of life, make sure you take a break between songs.

The Trivial Inquisition Each issue of the Tablet will feature a trivia question about the divinity school or someone in the divinity school. E-mail the correct answer to [email protected] on the day of publication. The subject line must be “Trivial Inquisition.” One correct answer will be selected at random to win a prize. Winners will be notified via email and will be printed in the following issue. Good luck! Q: What WFUSD student is taking Krav Maga?

Worship Bulletin Oct. 6 at 11:00 a.m. in Wait Chapel: Fall Convocation features Dr. Alton Pollard, Dean of Howard University School of Divinity Oct. 13 at 11:00 a.m. in Davis Chapel: Thirdyear Andrew Heil will preach.

An advice column of sorts Send your letters to Sophia at [email protected]

the

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tablet

a branch of the WFU School of Divinity keeping you informed

Melissa Guthrie-Johnson Editor-in-Chief

Christa Chappelle Design Editor

Top Ten top 10 Wake Div. Superhero Names and Powers

10. Dr. Leonard –“The Gesture” – powers of persuasion through hand motions. Charles Smith Copy Editor

9. John Carter – “The Baron of 1st Street” – no one can resist his magnetic influence nor escape his intimate conversations.

Adam Huffman Artwork & Photography Editor

8. Dr. Dunn – “No Spin Zone” – says what he wants, when he wants, as loud as he wants.

Barrett Wooten Staff Writer

7. Anne Jones – “Super Luther” – able to disrupt paradigms with a single flyer and looks great in a hooded robe.

Ben Wright Staff Writer

Brian Layman Staff Writer

Pete Zimmerman Staff Writer The Tablet is a bi-monthly publication of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity and serves as an informative, community-building vehicle. Submissions can be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please include a contact phone number or e-mail address. Submissions must be no longer than 250 words. The right to edit is reserved. Please note that the newsletter content does not represent the views or opinions of the divinity school or all Tablet members.

6. Blake Miller – “The Lewd Linguist” – you know exactly what we mean. 5. Pete Zimmerman –”The Flash” – finishes a test before it even began. 4. Cindy Good – “Insert pun on last name.” 3. Derek Wilhelm – “The French Tickler” – fear the power of the mustache. 2. Sister Larretta – “Prayer” – that’s a power, right? 1. Carter McNeese – “Divsocial Apothecary” – fills inboxes, requests prescriptions

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Despite flaws, Inglourious movie still delivers By Scott Looney Staff Writer

Quentin Tarantino is cinema’s greatest thief. The most astounding aspect of his thievery is his utter disregard for the quality of his source materials. That fact shone most brightly in his Kill Bill saga where he paid homage to exploitation films, kung-fu movies, and spaghetti westerns. In Inglourious Basterds he borrows from more highly regarded genres. Compared to the “blacksploitation” movies Tarantino mimicked, Kill Bill was amazing. Basterds is different; there are scenes in which Tarantino attempts to channel Leone and Hitchcock, but instead he pantomimes.

Sure, his suspenseful scenes are pretty good Hitchcock imitations, but where he exceeded the films he copied in Kill Bill, he falls short in Basterds. Still, his imitations are a delight even if he never recreates the suspense from Sabotage, the build-up to violence in The Good the Bad and the Ugly, or the wartime group dynamics of Guns of the Navaronne. Though Inglourious Basterds is a flawed movie, it is still a fantastic movie. As in other Tarantino flicks, Basterds does not just reference other films, but cinema itself. The climax of the movie takes place in a movie theatre. Actors, directors, film critics,

projectionists are all characters. The fun lies in the juxtaposition of cinema and war. The two worlds meld together often times explicitly, a film critic becomes a soldier, a Nazi leader becomes a director, a soldier becomes an actor, and other times implicitly, a loaded projector is a loaded gun, a strategist is a director, a double agent has to negotiate his contract. Here is the scary part: the soldiers are all good at their new roles, Goebbels is a great director! It is only the actress and the movie critic who make key mistakes pretending to be spies and soldiers. It is in this juxtaposition that Basterds is most success-

ful. Tarantino has often appeared on screen in his movies. Here he puts his very act of movie making on screen. One ought to remember that Inglourious Basterds is a movie without heroes. The group of Jewish-American soldiers that hunt Nazis is far too violent and vindictive to qualify as glorious; heck, they’re too violent to qualify as bastards. Brad Pitt’s Aldo Rey is still incredibly likable, but Christoph Waltz as a Nazi colonel is just as likable. All around the acting is superb and Waltz’s villain will be the most memorable component. The dialogue is superb, and moments of hilarity are concurrent with mo-

ments of horror and sympathy; however, despite the moments of brilliance, the screenplay has its shortcoming as well. None of the characters truly endear themselves to the audience, and the climax does not have the strange poignant ability to give everything else meaning like it does in Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown. Inglourious Basterds straddles the line between very good and great. What it does well it does great. There are simply a few things it does not do well. Perhaps it went through too many edits, but it is strange that Tarantino’s most traditional story arc is his least satisfying. Of course a plot being less satisfying than Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown is like a scientist being less intelligent than Albert Einstein, so that should not dissuade potential viewers. There will be few movies this year better than Inglourious Basterds, but even they will only be a little better.

Welcome, Scott Looney, to the Tablet Staff! Are you interested in writing or photography? The Tablet wants to hear from you. Send story ideas to [email protected]. All community members are welcome to contribute newsletter content. Need a few more work-study hours? Contact Melissa Guthrie-Johnson to see how you can become a part of paid staff.