Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Why I Love My Major(s)

I always cringe a little bit when people ask me what I am majoring in because when you say "Biblical Languages and Political Science" people always look at you funny. In fact, I am always very careful to enunciate very clearly when answering that question in hopes that the confused look on their face will be somewhat diminished. And, it never fails that that first question is always followed by a second, "What are you going to do with that?" My common answer, before I was trying to get in Law School and could use that answer, was "Whatever the Lord tells me to...just waiting for Him to tell me." And though, yes this answer is true, it really is a cop out because the confused face would only get worse if I answered "Oh you know, write speeches, get someone elected to a political office, teach Government."

But, even though "Biblical Languages and Political Science" gets me many weird looks, the books that I get to read make it totally worth it. I find it highly entertaining to go from reading a book on foreign policy to translating portions of Psalms and asking crazy grammar questions. Here are some of the books that I am currently reading this semester:

*"Praise and Lament in the Psalms" by Westermann
*"Diplomacy" by Henry Kissinger
*"Understanding Public Policy" by Dye
*"Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication" by Akmajian
*"Interpreting the Psalms" by Miller
*"Reflections on the Psalms" by C.S. Lewis
*"An Empire If You Can Keep It: Power and Principle in American Foreign Policy" by Magstadt
*"Presidential Command: Power, Leadership, and the Mkaing of Foreign Policy from Nixon to Bush" by Rodman

And this is why I (most of the time) enjoy my homework.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm right there with you. Strange faces from inquirers of my major, the indelibly predictable follow-up question, love of books that inspire spiritually and intellectually... it is the life of a poli sci student at HBU.

This semester I'm reading Aristotle and Cicero on Rhetoric, Locke and Marx on political philosophy, Jefferson and Lincoln on American government, and in between I've got painting and astronomy -- applying my creativity and studying God's.

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