Saturday, August 20

Saturday Notes

ARE WE GETTING TOO PERSONAL when we talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Mark Noll is asking all the right questions in his review of David Gregory's Dinner With a Perfect Stranger.

TWO MARTINS talk about what it means to be born-again.

THEY MUST ALREADY BE KNOCKING almonds somewhere. It wasn't long after I drove back into the Valley yesterday before my eyes started to water and itch. Then the sneezing started.

THE NUMBER OF PhD degrees awarded by American universities has declined in recent years. Link

Does this mean that the baby-boom bulge has finally worked its way through the system? If so, why do numbers of bachelors and masters degrees continue to increase?

My theory is that with the growth of more professional doctoral programs (DBA, PsyD, DPharm, DLS, etc.) the research doctorate is less appealing -- especially since there is the perception that PhD jobs in academia are relatively low-paying and few in numbers. Why take on debt for an over-priced program that you'll not be able to recover? IOW, the cost of the PhD programs are out of synch with the financial benefits.

Also, there are growing numbers of quality PhD programs in developing countries, such as China and India, which are drawing students who might have in the past come to the US to study. It doesn't help that in the post 9-11 environment the US is not perceived by most of the world to be a friendly and open place for foreigners.

MATTHEW DYER has been named as the new pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Maryland, replacing the influential Brian McLaren, who has stepped down to focus on consulting. Link

Dyer, a British medical doctor, has been an associate pastor at Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio and senior pastor of a Vineyard in Exeter, England.

1 comment:

Scot McKnight said...

Brad,
I know of no one who goes into a PhD program either for the money he or she will get or unaware that at the other end is a degree and a job that will not bring much money.

I can speak for must of us with this: in PhD programs you find people who are there for one reason: they love the academic life and what it does "to" them more than what it does "for" them.

It is true, not much money when it comes to degrees in business or science laboratory work -- and not even as much as most pastors make today! But, we make enough to do what we most want to do and what most of us sense is a vocation.

Probably, though, you agree with what I'm saying.