oh boy!
We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Blog to Bring You a Special Report: Presbyterian Exegesis Exam Changed
When I took the exegesis exam in the 1980s, it was a four-hour “open book” exam. Candidates were allowed to use any tools or helps they could bring, including dictionaries, grammars, concordances, commentaries, etc. At some point during the last twenty years, the exam was changed to a “take home” exam, in which candidates were given several days to finish it. I actually thought this was a positive change, since it did not place a premium on academic speed. Moreover, it provided candidates with a situation that was similar to that which they’d face as pastors, with a few days to work on a sermon.
Now, the exam itself and the way it will be graded have been changed in a couple of crucial ways. Here’s what I have learned from the PC(USA) website:
Read the series of posts here.1. The demonstration of a working knowledge of Greek and/or Hebrew will no longer be a requirement in order to complete the examination successfully. When exams are graded, the readers will comment on the language facility which is demonstrated in the paper. Such comments will be offered as guidance for Committees on Preparation for Ministry in determining readiness for ministry.
2. The wording of the instructions for the Biblical Exegesis examination have been amended. Inquirers/candidates will be asked to offer “a faithful interpretation” of the assigned text, rather than “the principal meaning” of the text.
posted by Suzanne McCarthy at 4:56 PM
2 Comments:
I just finished the exam today. While I'm fairly strong exegete, this was wild. It took 3 days to produce 13 pages of answers to 6 questions. I still needed Hebrew (and a little Greek). I can't imagine how a person would have pulled it off without the language. The instructions did allow, however, for one to simply use an english translation, but there were so many questions focused on the text critical issues...I don't know how you'd have pulled it off.
At any rate, glad it's over and the world can blog about it. Peace
Thanks for dropping by. I wrote an exegesis paper last spring, lots of time to do it, but it had to have 50 pages and cover early church, medieval, reformation, 18-19 century and modern. Plus lots of Hebrew. Only one psalm. I turned it in in May and I have not yet got it back.
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