Good News!

Dr Andrew Louth

I had an suprising and wonderful development this week: I’ve been asked to teach a seminar this term for the well-known Orthodox scholar Dr Andrew Louth.  Normally, first year PhD students don’t teach–we’re supposed to be focused on our dissertations–but someone was needed at the last moment to take on this seminar.  I’d like to say that I was approached because of my exceptional intelligence but I don’t think many of you would believe it.  Obviously, it was my good looks and charm…you don’t believe that either?  Well, the truth is that I’m benefiting from being the only PhD student here crazy enough to focus on medieval theology and these seminars all focus on works from the Middle Ages.  Thanks for all this goes to my supervisor, Dr Carol Harrison, who is also Dr Louth’s wife, for suggesting me.

So, tomorrow, I’ll pop over to Trevelyn College for a three hour course on how to teach and again on Friday for a workshop on teaching.  Once I’ve completed that and an online course, I’ll be added to the pay roll.  I should earn enough from teaching the seminar to buy an extra cuppa or a pint (the two most important measurements in the UK) each week!  The seminar begins next Friday, so it’ll be a busy week of last minute preparation.  We’ll be discussing such works as Liutprand of Cremona’s account of his visit to Constantinople, Pope Boniface VIII’s Unam Sanctam, and Lady Julian’s The Showings.  I’d list the others but most of you’ll be asleep by now!

Fortunately, this comes just as my thesis topic begins to come together.  I’ve just finished reading two key works in French (a major accomplishment for me!) and am now twelve pages into one of my sub-topics (“The Role of Participation in Augustine’s Theology” <Stop nodding off, please>), which is much farther along than I imagined I’d be.  I may have a paper to deliver next month and an important one at Canterbury in April, so I’ll be extremely busy between now and the summer.

But who cares?  I’m having fun!