The way to divinity?

Posted on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 ·

“Is this the way to divinity?” I asked a guy a couple paces behind me on the sidewalk.  I didn’t see any iPod or other obvious electronics, so I figured he’d hear me, that it was okay to ask. 
To me the question seemed ordinary enough.  So it surprised me a bit that he stopped in his tracks, slid off his sunglasses, paused and sized me up deliberately before responding.

 ”You mean the school?” 

I did.  Looking for Duke University’s Divinity building, I was trying to get to a meeting with someone there on campus.  Though it sounded like an existential question, I just wanted to make sure I had my directions right.  The Way to Divinity.

But the play on words reminded me of an old hang-up of mine:  “Divinity” sure is a curious name for a  theology degree.  How do seminary deans award “Master of Divinity” degrees without giggling at the podium?  Master of…God?  Of things divine?  Seriously?  Isn’t it actually the other way around, that Divinity masters us?  That’s the hope of this wayward M.Div. at least. 

But if you only need to find the divinity building, it’s beside the chapel.  Existential questions are considered graciously between passers-by.

 

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Comments

3 Responses to “The way to divinity?”
  1. JamesD says:
    June 11, 2009 at 6:35 am

    Thanks for the useful info. It’s so interesting

  2. GarykPatton says:
    June 16, 2009 at 12:15 am

    Hello. I think the article is really interesting. I am even interested in reading more. How soon will you update your blog?

  3. admin says:
    June 19, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    Thanks! I did make a newer post June 15. You can see it at the right sidebar under “recent posts.” (For some reason the post landed there but not on my blog page. I am working on it.). Thanks for reading.

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