A theologian shares his key writing ideas for his college students (opinion)
If you wish to ask somebody about good writing or the most recent innovation in writing instruction, you’d naturally name a professor of English or composition. Or, on account of the development of writing throughout the curriculum, you would possibly communicate with a sociologist or historian. The percentages are you wouldn’t search for your native theologian. In fact, many establishments of upper training don’t make use of theologians, however I believe there’s extra to it than that.
Some folks could assume that the concept of God, of final actuality, is simply too impenetrable or amorphous to talk intelligibly about, a lot much less yield insights on the craft of writing. There may be some fact and knowledge on this. A minimum of the fifth-century theologian and bishop Augustine of Hippo, himself a prolific author, as soon as noticed, “Since it’s God we’re talking of, you don’t perceive. In the event you may perceive it, it might not be God.”
Nonetheless, educational theologians like me discover ourselves standing in entrance of scholars—most of whom are in our class to satisfy a core curriculum requirement—and charged with the accountability to advertise reasoned discourse about the issue of God, non secular expertise and theological ethics. We face a lot the identical problem our colleagues in different disciplines do: persuading others of the worth of excellent writing in life and serving to them domesticate among the instruments to boost readability of expression and magnificence.
I sometimes assign essay papers that immediate vital reflection on a theological textual content within the gentle of the coed’s personal life expertise, values and worldview. The project’s pointers require an understanding of the work in query and an analysis of the issues and claims throughout the textual content. The rules make clear that private religion and/or non secular affiliation usually are not presupposed or required to hold out the project. College students discover this method to theological and non secular questions novel and liberating, however what they actually need assistance with is enhancing their use of the English language and their information of what analytical and persuasive writing requires for fulfillment.
College students being taught grammar typically take this in a moralistic means, as in the event that they have been being made to really feel responsible for being poor writers. Subsequently, the very first thing I jokingly say is that whereas college students battle with writing for a lot of causes, the excellent news is that almost all of these causes usually are not their fault. For one factor, many college students come from properties the place English isn’t the first language—which, after all, is pure and never a matter of fault in any respect. What’s extra, main, intermediate and secondary colleges are often underfunded. Writing won’t have been prioritized in them, and, in spite of everything, at these ages (and even now) many alternative good issues compete for our consideration.
I may hardly say every thing that may very well be mentioned about good writing, so what does my expertise inform me they may not do with out? If I may one way or the other match it on a PowerPoint slide, we would have one thing the scholars would take heed to and bear in mind.
Writing isn’t speaking: That is crucial factor they should know. Speaking is the verbalization of your largely unfiltered stream of consciousness. It serves its function, however writing, and positively writing a university paper, is one other matter completely. It’s essential to step again out of your prose and scrutinize it from a third-party perspective. Am I coming throughout the way in which I need to? Am I speaking what I believe I’m speaking? It’s like a distinct language from on a regular basis speech.
Writing isn’t a transcript of your ideas, I inform my college students. Somewhat, it’s extra just like the cautious, artistic, trial-and-error course of of workmanship or inventive expression. To achieved writers, that’s self-evident; to some first-year college students, it’s a revelation. All this sounds tougher than speaking, and it’s. However it additionally implies that no person must be—or may very well be—an ideal author, a liberating message.
“As a result of”—it is a highly effective phrase and must be used usually. It tells me that my scholar isn’t merely making an assertion or venting, however she’s additionally providing a cause for what she states. It indicators there’s an try to elucidate and justify what’s asserted. She is taking the reader and her personal work significantly. There are different phrases that accomplish the identical factor, but it surely helps to make my level with essentially the most primary time period. Instructors are used to seeing purple flags that announce the paper is headed within the fallacious route; “as a result of” declares the other. Not each cause is persuasive and even believable, however the behavior of making an attempt it should be established.
“For instance.” That is one other piece of the English language I confess to get pleasure from seeing, and I inform my college students that. Giving an instance of what one thinks is essential slows the paper down and makes concrete what can simply stay summary or theoretical. In a given case, the instance could be a specific private expertise or Pope Francis commenting on local weather change, however the level being pushed dwelling turns into extra vivid by the use of an instance. Issues by no means worsen with a great instance.
After quoting, “Which means that …” college students typically assume that in the event that they quote a supply or textual content, their work is finished, however it’s removed from performed. I inform them to not assume the which means of the textual content is self-evident or that I will perceive it as a result of I’m the professor. Somewhat, they should interpret the textual content simply quoted and in addition clarify how the citation is related to the argument they themselves have been making of their paper. How would possibly the quoted materials assist or problem their place? When the scholars write, “Which means that,” they don’t seem to be merely mimicking me; they’re telegraphing they get what participating the considered one other author is all about and making that occur.
“1→2.” As I clarify to my college students, that is my very own code for shortening your sentences and paragraphs. Most college students err on the facet of excessively lengthy, unwieldy sentences, whether or not or not they’re technically run-on sentences. Enthusiastic about having plenty of issues to say, they attempt to jam a number of concepts into one sentence. The impulse to attach concepts is sweet, however the execution is unhealthy.
As a corrective, I encourage them to “go from one to 2”—to take two sentences to say what they might have mentioned in a single. The identical recommendation holds for paragraphs. Studying to start out a brand new paragraph helps the author manage one’s ideas in a manageable and coherent means. Not each lengthy sentence or paragraph is ill-advised, however college students first must apply shortening them.
Don’t write “certainly.” I first realized this tip from my center faculty–aged daughter, and I inform my college students how this took place. In the future she requested me to learn a paper she had written. I believed it was good work, however requested her why she had used the phrase “certainly.” She replied that she had performed some critical analysis in her paper and needed the trainer to take her, and her work, significantly.
I gave her a distinct view. I informed her it was more likely to go away the other impression—nevertheless inaccurate—that she wrote “certainly” to impress him and canopy up superficial features of the paper. The message to my college students isn’t a lot in regards to the phrase “certainly,” which in spite of everything has its rightful place in English utilization. The bigger level is that they need to write in their very own voice and let their materials communicate for itself with out affectation or attempting to sound good.
I don’t know whether or not my writing ideas will turn into second nature to my college students over time, however I can report seeing “as a result of” and “for instance” extra often of late. Creating my brief record of ideas has jogged my memory that good writing within the theology classroom seems to be rather a lot like good writing in an English or historical past class. In theology parlance, God is named “thriller,” however that’s not a license for theologians and their college students to jot down in obscure or mystifying methods. If it have been, who would pay attention?
