Doctoral update

Last week I received a photocopy of the first 60 pages with a great deal pencil markings. They not only review your work for content, but for spacing, headings, margins, quotations, references, etc., etc., etc., Everything has to be exact. We are supposed to use a book by Kate Turabian, which is a handbook for writing major projects, theses and dissertations. Trinity also has their handbook. I tried to follow the Trinity way, but missed some points. You can also hire people to proofread and correct punctuation, etc. I am leaning in that direction since I don't want to put Debbie on the hook and I do not pay enough attention to the details. I will be emailing the two main readers to inquire about cost, etc.

I also spoke to my main reader for 30 minutes on Saturday morning to review his comments. There were 17 main comments or criticisms for me to correct / revise. Most were not to major, some had much more meat to them. So, we spent the time going over 4 main areas, one of which I had no clue where he was coming from, until he commented about a different book I didn't read and of course do not have by Dallas Willard. So, I will have to get it so I can interact about the Sermon on the Mount vs. Romans 6 as being the locus of sanctification. Most of his comments centered on sanctification, and our view of it, especially as it relates to 'forensic justification.'

Overall, I am more pleased than displeased with how it is going. The next month will be crucial as I revise and continue writing. I am hoping for an end of May submission of the entire project. This way, I can make further revisions and he feels I would be ready for my oral exams in the summer, as opposed to the fall. It makes my stomach tingle to think about the oral exams. Being grilled for 2 hours, not only over Spiritual Disicplines, but over the theology - past and present which has shaped our understanding of the disciplines is a little daunting. But, I am becoming more and more psyched about it.

Remember to keep me in prayer about this.