As a part of the âWhy do a PhD?â series of blogs posts, I thought Iâd contribute my own thoughts on the decision to do a doctorate. I must say that I have struggled with this post, becauseâlike most peopleâI have had a mixed experience with the doctorate. Doctorates are hard, Read more
In the past year, while worldwide lockdowns have been instituted for the preservation of life, many people have been forced to ponder anew what the value of it is: what, if anything, makes life ‘beautiful’? In the silence of our isolated homes, the call to find meaningâa call which has always been sounding in Read more
As this strange and troubling academic term comes to an end, I can think of no better way of finishing it than by turning to God in prayerâin adoration for his grace, confession and thanksgiving for whatâs past, and supplication for the future. Dear Lord and Father, We thank you Read more
‘Long lay the world in sin and error pining,Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.’ I’ve remarked in previous posts how much I love Christmas; though it is nowhere near Christmastime, I was reminded Read more
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish clergyman and writer who profoundly influenced the fiction and non-fiction works of C.S. Lewis. One of Lewisâs lesser-known publications is an edited collection of MacDonaldâs writings: the book can be hard to find in print now, but a dear friend gifted my a copy Read more
For the early academic, the rallying cry is âpublish or dieâ! In an over-saturated job market, we are trained to focus on publication, believingâbecause we are more or less toldâthat we are only as good as our publishing record. I have long dreaded the publication process. The stakes seem so Read more
Finishing a doctorate is glorious and wonderfully freeing (see previous post). But it’s amazing how quickly reality sets in after a brief moment of victory. One set of goals is replaced by another and the challenge of navigating along the unmarked, foggy road of a DPhil is followed by the Read more
One of my favourite pieces of Christmas music is âFor unto us a Child is bornâ from Georg Friderich HĂ€ndelâs Messiah. I have loved it since I was a child, touched by its bouncing joy and the intricacy of its polyphonic choral writing, with lines appearing and disappearing like needles through Read more
In the next few weeks, I am hoping to submit my thesis. I’m not at the summit of my academic career (at least, I hope I’m not!) but I am approaching a significant waypoint that I’ve been working towards for three years. I don’t really know what I expected to Read more
It’s vacation season once more and everyone seems to be posting pictures of themselves lounging by the river, sipping G&Ts. No better time, then, to consider the role of rest in our work. Academia seems to offer lots of âtime offâ: Easter breaks, Christmas breaks, and summer breaks can dwarf Read more