How do I frame myself?

I was invited this week to speak at a mission's conference in Minnesota. The conference is in mid-October and I'm currently considering how exactly I'm going to frame this opportunity so that I can list it on my vita. Hhmmm...

In general, academics in the humanities (English, theatre, communication studies, etc.) come across as pretty liberal in their acceptance of people regardless of race, sexual orientation, politics, and so forth. It would be unlikely in my department that even covert or subtle racist or homophobic comments would be tolerated.

But, as a Christian, I feel hesitant to be too vocal about my faith with academic colleagues. I’m afraid some of them will judge me as socially conservative, opposed to gay marriage, pro-Bush, and the like. I’m afraid they will make those assumptions by painting me with a broad brush, labeled “Christian”.

Instead of beginning with the base understanding that I'm Christian, and then adding to that picture, I find myself doing the exact opposite. I tend to be pretty clear about my politics and liberal acceptance of the sorts of things that my colleagues liberally accept. Then I have to add to that picture "Yeah, I go to church every week." Even then, it feels sometimes like the admission that I'm a Christian is somehow unaccepted, as if it colors the very picture individuals have of me.

If academics have already accomplished the feat of disregarding race, gender, and sexual stereotypes, why when I come out with my Christian faith do I automatically feel like I'm placed in a labeled box marked "Christian"? Is it the fault of media portrayals of Christians (i.e. Ned Flanders, Televangelists, protesters at funerals of people who have died of HIV-AIDS or in front of abortion clinics)? Is it out president's vocal faith that makes him into the poster-boy of what a Christian is and aught to be? Is it the fact that there are other, liberal Christians in my shoes who don't feel called to be a manic street preacher or one who condemns the sins of humanity with placard in-hand reading "The End Is Near"? Is it because the average non-Christian's experiences with the openly Christian is a bumper sticker reading "In case of rapture car will be empty" or "Jesus is with US." or "Eternity: Smoking or Non-Smoking" or some other, similarly trite, compressed theology?

What’s a liberal Christian academic to do?

Zooming forth into PBS

Public Broadcasting is the name of the game here at Public Television Station WBGU, Bowling Green, Ohio. In addition to teaching seemingly wonderful (after one class, mind you) students in my P.C.C. Comm Intro class, I am also working at Bowling Green's local PBS station. Right now though, I'm pretty much sitting in a room with a couple computers, a lot of children's videotapes, some boxes filled with unintelligible files, and a tall, puke-green filing cabinet that is both half-filled and half-broken. The lap of luxury.

It seems, however, that the general manager here is keen on getting me started on a few different projects he has in mind. The staff here seems friendly, if spread out throught a relatively large building. I've been sitting in this new office, working away for about an hour and a half now, and haven't seen anybody. I keep hearing the hallway door open, but that's about the only sign of life of which I'm aware. I guess I'll be attending a meeting at some point later, but I'm neither sure when or with whom this so-called meeting might take place. Pretty soon I'm going to bust out my philosophy textbook and get some reading done. I suppose that would be more productive than bloggin all morning long.

One year on...

I've been thinking a lot recently about how my last year has faired. For the past 12 months or so, I was accustomed to saying things like, "Oh, last year I was in Belfast" or "I've only been back in the States for three months..." or whatever. Now it's been a year. Northern Ireland is over a year in my past and I seem to have begun reflecting on where I am at now, and where that year has found me.

I started this doctoral program. I did very well in my classes both semesters and had research pieces presented at three conferences. I'm an advisor for the Inter-Personal Communication Organization. I know where I'm headed for my dissertation and I finally chose an academic advisor. I'm in a pretty cushy office with my own computer, coffee maker, and desk. I have a great view onto the main drag here in Bowling Green.

My girlfriend, Gina, and I are very happy. We just moved into a new place. It's quite the step up from the one-bedroom-type places I'd been living in prior and post-Belfast. We have a washer and dryer, a cat named Stuart, and our own garage. I can also digitally record EVERY EPISODE of Star Trek that I wish. God is good.

Speaking of God, we've found a great church home as well. We attend a Methodist church here in town. I think next month we're going to go through membership class. It has a fantastic pastor and choir. The congregation is warm and friendly. We feel very welcomed and needed there.

It feels good here, like everything is on track. My school-work is progressing at just the pace it should be, Gina and I are talking about getting engaged here in the next few months, and life in BG is filled with relaxing evenings on our porch, visits from friends, and getting our home in order.

This summer we took a vacation to New York City. Neither of us had ever seen the Big Apple before. It was a wonderful time. Fast-paced, but not rude or dirty or scary in any way. After leaving the big city, we stopped in Pennsylvania and camped for a few days before coming back to Ohio.

Now the school year starts for me on Monday and for Gina in a few weeks. My students moved back in yesterday and my syllabus needs to be edited and printed. I've also got a stack of assignments I need to write up for the semester. Not to mention the readings I still have to get on top of for the classes I'm taking this fall (seminars in Persuasion, Media Effects, and Systemic Sustainability and Wisdom). And that’s the update from this year. Now, on to another one.

Resume Transmission

It's mid-August and I am returned! This new semester finds your faithful Masked Doctoral Student is a new building, with new colleagues, and a new (Mac) computer. (My super-powers are not super-powerful enough to allow me to right-click. Curses!) My new assistantship is through the P.C.C. (Partners in Context & Community). From what I understand, my students this year are all pre-service teachers who have expressed an interest in serving under-represented populations. I believe they do observations in classrooms in Toldeo and, here at BG, all live and take classes together.

In addition, I continue my PhD training by taking Persuasion, Media Effects, and a seminar in the Philosophy department called sustainability and Wisdom. My schedule has worked out so that I don't have to teach or take classes on Fridays.

In just the past few weeks, my wonderful girlfriend and I moved into a fine duplex in a residential area of Bowling Green. I think that my schedule is going to allow me to spend Fridays cleaning the house and doing the dishes for my lovely girlfriend...who is shouldered with the awesome responsibility of working five whole days each week. Mwa ha ha...

M.D.S. AWAY!