…I was informed today that my appearance on this blog has not gone unnoticed by our friends on the Envoy forum. Don’t worry, I know it’s not about me; it’s about Dr. White, of course. You see, because I happen to agree with Dr. White, and even chose to study for a Master of Theology degree (note that, not a “Master’s of Religious Studies”), at an unaccredited school in order to have Dr. White as my academic mentor, I am tarred and feathered with the same brush. Sorry, Dr. Sippo, but if that makes me a lazy lightweight, then so be it. I really, quite honestly, don’t care what you think of me, and I am, in fact, honored to be tarred with that brush. If you choose to ignore every word out of my mouth simply because you don’t like CES, or James White, or both, then that’s up to you. It so happens that in the course of my “lightweight” studies, I do actually have to read books–lots of them, and I don’t always agree with the books I read (some of which are written by some quite objectionable people). But my mentor encourages me to read them because it is possible I might learn something.
…Now, since I only have a B.A. in Theology with Honors from an English University, I don’t have a lot of experience with American institutions and categories of learning, but doing lots of reading, writing papers, and being guided in one’s studies by someone whose work you admire and whose scholarship you trust sounds to me very much like a Research Degree. In fact, had I chosen to do an M.A. at my alma mater, I would have done much the same kind of thing except I would have been assigned a supervisor; I wouldn’t have had the luxury of choosing someone with whom I hold sympathetic theological views (and it would have cost me a whole lot more).
…Having said all of that, I don’t expect anyone on the Envoy board to change their minds about me, Dr. White, CES, or Alpha and Omega Ministries. I only hope that some of you can see past these frail vessels and look to the wonderful message we proclaim. Have a nice Christmas! 🙂
Alpha and Omega Ministries is a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. James White, director, is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics for numerous schools.
