Biblical Wisdom for Academics

12 March 2008 at 4:33 pm Peter G. Klein Leave a comment

| Peter Klein |

The gang at St. Maximos’ Hut has been running a series on the Proverbs and Psalms, highlighting verses that apply to faculty life. To wit:

On faculty recruiting: “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Prov. 20:13)

On peer review: “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” (Prov. 27:1-2)

On people who teach 8:00am classes: “He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.” (Prov 27:14)

And perhaps you’ve seen this one before — a prayer before faculty meetings:

Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings
from the wicked who assail me,
from my mortal enemies who surround me.
They close up their callous hearts,
and their mouths speak with arrogance.
They have tracked me down, they now surround me,
with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
They are like a lion hungry for prey,
like a great lion crouching in cover.
Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down;
rescue me from the wicked by your sword. (Ps. 17:8-13)

The list also includes economic topics such as capital, financial planning, market institutions, information, etc.