The Seminary Student Writes

129 Pages·2000·0.81 MB·English

by  Deborah Core

THE
seminary
student
writes
DEBORAH CORE

THE
seminary
student
writes
THE
seminary
student
w r i t e s
DEBORAH CORE
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
© Copyright 2000 by Deborah Core
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised
Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NEB) are from the New English Bible, copy-
right Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press 1961, 1970.
Reprinted by permission.
Cover art: © Photodisc, Inc.
Cover design: Elizabeth Wright
Interior design: Elizabeth Wright
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Library of Congress Cataloging–in–Publication Data
Core, Deborah.
The seminary student writes / Deborah Core.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-827234-47-5
1. Christian literature—Authorship. 2. Academic writing. 3. Seminarians.
I. Title.
BR117 .C67 2000
808'.06623 — dc21 00-009050
CIP
Printed in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to my fellow students
at Lexington Theological Seminary,
whose journeys I have been privileged to share.
I am blessed to be part of your community.

Contents
Abbreviations viii
Preface ix
1. Why Write? 1
2. Beginning and Beyond 9
3. Reading to Write 29
4. Seminary Research Papers 47
5. A Brief Manual of Usage 85
Appendix 1: Using Inclusive Language 107
Appendix 2: Writing Essay Exams 113
Abbreviations
AB Anchor Bible
ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary
BETL Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum
lovaniensium
BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin
CD Cairo Genizah copy of the Damascus Document
Gen Rab Genesis Rabbah
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
LD lectio divina
LXX Septuagint
Mek. Exod. Mekilta Exodus
NJBC New Jerome Biblical Commentary
NRT La Nouvelle Revue Theologique
NT New Testament
OT Old Testament
1QS Serekh ha-Yahad orRule of the Community
from Cave 1
11Qtemple Temple Scroll
Str-B Kommentar zum Neuen Testament
viii
Preface
The Seminary Student Writes is the outcome of a search. In
1992, after more than twenty years as a teacher of writing, I
began taking seminary classes part-time. Getting into the con-
tent of seminary classes, I looked for a seminary-oriented book
of preprofessional writing support such as exists in most other
graduate academic areas. When I realized that no such book
existed, I began to think that my experiences as a seminary
student and as an English teacher of many years might enable
me to fill the gap. I discussed my plans with Dr. Bonnie Thurston
of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and her support encour-
aged me to go forward with the project. Other writing commit-
ments prevented her from being as involved as I had hoped
she could be in the actual writing of this book, but her gener-
ous sharing of ideas and resources has been a great help.
In the fall of 1998 I was asked to tutor my fellow students
at Lexington Theological Seminary in writing. This opportu-
nity was quite helpful to me in working on this book; I encoun-
tered much more directly the kinds of challenges students were
facing, and I also had a chance to converse with the faculty
about seminary writing. I am deeply grateful to all the faculty
of LTS and to all my fellow students for what they have taught
me, for the life of faith they have modeled, and for their gifts of
community, prayer, friendship, and laughter. Special thanks
go to Dr. Sharyn Dowd, now of Baylor University, for her com-
mitment to excellence in writing, and to Dr. Margaret N. Ralph,
seminary adjunct professor and secretary of educational min-
istry in the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, for encouragement
and an eagle-eyed reading of the text.
Dr. Jane McAvoy encouraged me and worked with me on
this project over many cups of coffee, and her writing-intensive
classes have taught students that the act of writing can help
ix