The leisurely pursuit of learning and divinity

This week Monday to Friday is one of those gift weeks - when work is hard to discern amongst the pleasure. It is however a reading and writing week - but at St Deiniol's library in Hawarden, near Chester. I'm going with a good friend and colleague so the week includes conversation, fellowship, mutual enthusiasm for 'divine learning' (the purpose behind St Deiniol's endowment) and the hope of a pub where we can watch the Uefa Cup Final.

Blogging is on hold for the week. Maybe next week I'll be able to post some of the theological and intellectual proceeds of a week's work - then again, the pressure to produce is a market concept that has limited usefulness in the life of scholarship. There are times when what is most needed is replenishment rather than productivity. I've a couple of big books lined up - but in a library of over 200,000 items, there may be tempting alternatives. I've several preaching occasions I need to prepare for including the English speaking Welsh Baptist Union Assembly and ordinations of finishing students. To preach at the beginning of a ministry is one of those key moments in theological education as vocation, when all the things that matter most are to the fore.

Time to pack the books, paper and pencils - oh and the laptop.

Comments

[Sean]

Jim,

I've just come back from a very profitable week there. Internet access is £15 for the week, so you should be able to keep in touch, although the signal and bandwidth isnt all that. And watch out for the guy working on the identity and the young man in Mark 15 - if you start the 'what are you working on' conversation you may never escape.

Hope you have a good time.

Sean

[Catriona]

Have a great time, enjoy the books and beware conversations with anyone on 'what I'm working on' unless you are prepared for very long conversations.

There is a pub a couple of minutes walk away, but no idea if it has a TV sorry, and a couple of paper shops if you need to buy chocolate!