Most ingenious Theuth, one man has the ability to beget arts, but the ability to judge of their usefulness or harmfulness to their users belongs to another; and now you, who are the father of letters, have been led by your affection to ascribe to them a power the opposite of that which they really possess. For this invention will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practise their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them. You have invented an elixir not of memory, but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom, for they will read many things without instruction and will therefore seem to know many things, when they are for the most part ignorant and hard to get along with, since they are not wise, but only appear wise. (274e—275b, LCL)

Socrates goes on to declare that static texts cannot serve as proper vehicles for philosophy, mainly because they aren’t adaptable to various situations; Plato reaffirms this idea in his seventh letter (343a). Yet Thamus’ description of books is even more thought-provoking in our digital age where we hardly ever commit things to memory. Remember when we would memorize phone numbers? Yes, tools such as Google and Wikipedia are tremendously helpful for ready facts and information, but does this digital world contribute to our wisdom, or is it just full of data? Surely the internet, as Thamus would claim, only hurts our memory, but we won’t stop using the web as a crutch for information. I know I won’t. Technological advances are paradoxical. The more advanced we get, the less it seems that we know how stuff works. So it’s interesting to find similar arguments in the ancient world—that the advancement of writing limits human advancement.

Phil 510 — Plato

Cynthia Patterson and Richard Patterson (Wednesday 6:00-9:00pm)

Plato subjected all aspects of traditional Greek culture in general, and Athenian society in particular, to philosophical criticism. But he also tried to devise religious practices and institutions, and new myths that would genuinely serve the naturally good ends of individuals and their communities. The course will focus especially on Plato’s treatment of Greek religion and myth (with some of their inevitable connections to politics, tragedy, et al.) and his attempts to forge a new, moral, vision of the cosmos, human society and the human soul.

RLNT 760 — New Testament and Theology

Luke Timothy Johnson (Friday 9:00-12:00pm)

We will examine the relationship between the New Testament and theology in three distinct ways. First, we will ask what it means to speak of the “theological voice” of a New Testament composition. Does the expression, “the theology of John,” make sense, and if so, how? Second, we will consider several classic examples of the intellectual experiment called “New Testament Theology,” and by analysis of the several outstanding examples of the genre, discover the possibilities and limits of the exercise. Third, we will give some attention to the “use of the New Testament in theology,” by interacting with some examples of contemporary theological discourse.

RLNT 721G — The Writings of Paul: Romans

Michael J. Brown (Thursday 2:00-5:00pm)

No Description, but the title says it all.

RLR 700H — First Year Colloquy

William Gilders (Tuesday 11:00-1:00pm)

The purpose of the colloquy is to provide time for discussion about a variety of issues in the academic study of religion and theology, and about life as PhD students in the Graduate Division of Religion (GDR). After a session of introductions, we will learn more about the two academic bodies that co-constitute the GDR faculty, the Department of Religion in Emory College and the Candler School of Theology. Then we will consider various methodological and professional issues that affect your development as scholars/teachers of religion and theology. For each session, except the introductory and concluding sessions, one or two faculty members will attend to make some introductory remarks and to participate in the conversation. Occasionally, there will be some short readings or reviews of websites.