Alright. So. I think, if I were to start my Div III tomorrow (or I guess even this morning when I get up for real) I would want to do it on Christian law. Obvs there's not a Christian version of halakha or sharia, but the RCC definitely has law and dogma, and most mainline protestant denominations at least take stances on controversial issues, so there's plenty to work with. I want to look at the ways that law has developed, and the ways it's interacted with Biblical interpretation, especially in the works of Paul. I'd want to see developments across time in areas like slavery, alcohol/temperance, women's rights, homosexuality, etc. I don't know yet if I'd focus on certain denominations or certain issues or what, 'cause this is kind of huge right now. But I know I want to work with Paul and Biblical scholarship/interpretation, and church law.
And those aren't things I knew 6 hours ago.
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Kari - Intriguing topics...also you may have noted there is a study that's being cited today in many news sources that say American that identify themselves as "Christians" is down to 76% (from 86% only a decade ago). So a quarter of Americans at least would say they aren't even accountable to that law. And I'd be interested in knowing how many of the 76% of Americans would say they still feel compelled by that law? Enjoy Spring Break and your train traveling. - Billy the Kid
Of course, as a good Pauline, I'd have to tell you that no Christian should feel compelled to do anything, law or no. Hence the lack of halakha or sharia in the Christian world (and the existence of grace!).
And it probably shows what a crazy bubble I live in that I'm shocked by the figure of 76% because it seems twice as high as I would have estimated it. Then again, if I want to be an extra-good Pauline and define religion as much by ethnicity and parental practice as by any set of personal beliefs or actions (which is actually really useful in our postmodern fractured-identity world), then 76% is kind of a low number, but I'm allowing for conversion (which Paul of course also does).
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