Imbolc Hare Moon
A long time ago, during college, while majoring in philosophy and anthropology, I read an article about the maturation points in different academic disciplines. Mathematicians on the very young end of the scale and philosophers at the other, older end. At that time my interest was theory of the social sciences. That is, theoretical anthropology, psychology, sociology. What were the major philosophical questions that each discipline raised by the assumptions and research methodologies it employed.
This turned out to be an unfortunate focus because I got turned down at three graduate schools for fellowships because no money was on the table for people wanting to focus on theory. At the time I was not interested in changing my orientation, so I passed on graduate school. A decision I have regretted off and on ever since.
Ending up in seminary actually allowed me to continue my interest in theory since theology is just that, a philosophical and theoretical approach to the questions raised by religion. I loved it. Of course, there was that vocation on the other end, ministry, but at first I ignored that and enjoyed the work. (and the politics.)
That process funneled me (somewhat by inertia) into getting ordained, working for the church. Even then, though, I still wondered about the systems of the church, how congregations worked, how they grew and declined, how the various denominations grew and declined. My Doctor of Ministry thesis was on the decline of the Presbyterian Church from a post-modern perspective.
Anyhow, after I pulled back from that 20 year immersion in the Christian world, I revisited that earlier question about maturation. When I looked at that material during college, I’d concluded that I would mature late, probably very late since I was interested in theory, a sort of meta-perspective on politics, social science and religion.
And so, now, in my 67th year, I can report that I feel the maturation process beginning to congeal. It’s not yet finished, probably never will be, but I’m beginning to see how my odd path through the world has led me to today and how I might use that path for the good of others. In large part, I’ll do that by continuing to write, continuing to learn Latin, continuing to educate myself, continuing to grow things with Kate and continuing some level of political activity.
(Jacob Wrestling the Angel, Maurice Denis)
I do think you will see more from me over the next few years in the form of ideas and actions. It’s exciting to me to see that possibility ahead.
