Doctrines and Pubs

Hello again,

I hope you have enjoyed the first half of November. It has been a good month over here. The weather has been nice and windy as of late - perfect for a bit of tweed - and just cold enough to make me appreciate all of the tea.

On the academic front there is quite a lot going on. Last week I began the Doctrine, Context, and Practice section of my course. We started by reading about the doctrine of the Trinity. One quote from my reading was, "The more you reflect upon the mystery of the Trinity, the less you seem to understand it definitively" (Moltmann). I found this to be very true, but it was still a useful endeavor because we discussed topics such as God's agency in relation to free will, the concept of personhood, and the Trinity in terms of function, which makes more sense to me, or relationship. In addition, my first paper was assigned. I will need to select a model of applied theology and show how I would use it to explore any doctrine of my choice. Needless to say, I have a lot of options, but I am leaning toward either the doctrine of the Eucharist or the doctrine of conversion, particularly in relation to the Holy Spirit. It's not due until early January, but I'll decide soon.

Inside the White Horse

In quite drastic contrast, I also want to share my thoughts on a few Oxford pubs due to popular demand. I gave some history on the Eagle and Child in a previous post, but this time around I just want to give a brief assessment of a few pubs. One that I really like is the Lamb and Flag. I went there a few days ago and it has a great atmosphere. The seating continues on and on, yet it is very snug at the same time. The Mitre is another good pub. It is a bit bigger than most pubs in the sense that it isn't essentially a Hobbit-hole like many are, but it is a good place for larger groups. One that is certainly like a Hobbit-hole is the White Horse. It is very small and feels crowded, but that is what an English pub is all about - having a drink with friendly strangers. Lastly, I have been to the King's Arms. It is the biggest of the pubs that I've been to, which makes it a nice place for a meal, but they don't have Guinness so I'm not a big fan.

Outside The Mitre

If you ever plan a trip over here, I'd say if you want traditional, try the White Horse. If you want best overall, try the Eagle and Child or the Lamb and Flag. And if you have a larger group, try the King's Arms or The Mitre. Of course, there are many more, I just haven't tried them yet.

I hope you enjoyed the mix of topics this time. If you are curious about anything in particular just let me know and I will write about it! Just post a comment below or comment of Facebook. I might post again before Thanksgiving, but, if not, enjoy it!

Truly,

Tim

November Already?!

Hello everyone,

Happy All Saints' Day! I hope you enjoyed Halloween! It's been a while since my last post, so I have quite a few updates for you. First off, I mentioned my many auditions last time, and I am happy to let you know that I am singing with The Oxford Commas. It is a new all-male a cappella group that just started about a year ago. I'm also planning on singing with the Chapel Choir at my college. All of the other groups I mentioned didn't pan out for several reasons, foremost of which being that they are very serious about sight reading over here - something I am not very good at.

Examination Schools - I have one lecture here

In other news, I have started attending some lectures. On Mondays I have a lecture in Science and Religion with Alister McGrath, a very well-known professor - some students were even taking selfies with him before the first lecture. On Tuesdays I have a seminar with some of the ministerial students and then a lecture in Christian Moral Reasoning. On Thursdays I have a lecture in Sociology of Religion, and on Fridays I have my regular seminar for my program. It is a good mix of topics, and each has helped me realize that I made the right choice in deciding to focus on applied theology.

Another part of my new routine is my involvement in the Christian Union and with a few local churches in the area. The Christian Union meets on Wednesday nights and provides a space to study scripture in a group as well as pray together. I have also been going to St. Aldate's Church on Thursday nights for dinner, worship, and Bible study. It is a much larger group compared to the Christian Union, but I still like it because it incorporates music and a message from a church leader. Furthermore, I have been to St. Aloysius Church and Trinity Church for Sunday worship.

St. Aloysius

Despite all of these lectures and extracurricular activities, I still have a good amount of free time. However, I recently received some exciting news that will change that. I submitted a paper for publication in a journal eleven months ago, and the editor finally got back to me last week. He let me know that he thinks the paper has merit, but a few sections need some work. So, he wants me to make some revisions and resubmit! Therefore, I will be using my free time to complete those revisions.

I just have one more thing to share. Check out the News tab on the top right of the page. The St. Michael's College newspaper, The Defender, published an article about some recent religious studies students that are now in graduate school. Otherewise, I think that's about all I have to share. Always feel free to email me at timothy.nagy@regents.ox.ac.uk if you have questions, or leave a comment below. Thanks for reading!

Truly,

Tim