Teaching

I teach a range of units at Whitley College, University of Divinity. Some of these are offered every year, others every two or more years. 

Previous Courses Taught (2007–14)

  • Christianity without God: Lloyd Geering, Slavoj Žižek, and the Nihilism of the Secular (PG)
  • Dissonant Voices: Religious Pluralism and the Witness of Faith (PG)
  • Pastoral Care (PG)
  • Presbyterian and Reformed Christianity (PG)
  • Theological Reflection (PG)
  • A Theology of the Child (PG)
  • God and the World: Introducing Theology (UG)

Resources for Students

Essay Writing

Library & Research Resources

Study and Research Tools

Note-taking and Writing Tools

In addition to reading good writing, reading about good writing can also be an invaluable help. Here are some resources that are worth consulting:

  • Atwood, Margaret. Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
  • Badenhorst, Cecile, Brittany Amell, and James Burford, eds. Re-Imagining Doctoral Writing. Fort Collins/Louisville: WAC Clearinghouse/University Press of Colorado, 2021.
  • Bailey, Stephen. Academic Writing: A Practical Guide for Students. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2004.
  • Barnet, Sylvan, and William E. Cain. A Short Guide to Writing About Literature, 12th ed., rev. Melbourne: Pearson, 2013.
  • Barreto, Eric D., ed. Writing Theologically: Foundations for Learning. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2015.
  • Bradley, James E., and Richard A. Muller. Church History: An Introduction to Research Methods and Resources. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2016.
  • Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. 5th ed. Boston: Longman, 2011.
  • Doyle, Brian, ed. A Sense of Wonder: The World’s Best Writers on the Sacred, the Profane, and the Ordinary. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 2016.
  • Dunleavy, Patrick. Authoring a PhD: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
  • Eco, Umberto. How to Write a Thesis. Translated by Caterina Mongiat Farina and Geoff Farina. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2015.
  • English Language Teaching Centre, University of Edinburgh. ‘Academic Essay Writing for Postgraduates’.
  • Goodson, Patricia. Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing. 2nd ed. Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2017.
  • Hart, David Bentley. ‘How To Write English Prose’.
  • Henning, Elizabeth, Sarah Gravett, and Wilhelm Van Rensburg. Finding your Way in Academic Writing. 2nd ed. Hatfield: Van Schaik, 2005.
  • Jones, Christopher Ryan, and Katharina Hirt. Handbook of Reading Theological German. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2021.
  • Kane, Thomas S. The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing. New York: Berkley Books, 2000.
  • Kaplan, Bruce. Editing Made Easy: Simple Rules for Effective Writing. Hinesburg: Upper Access Inc., 2012.
  • Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. New York: Pantheon Books, 1994.
  • Lewis, Thomas A. ‘Theory and Method and the Stakes of a Fragmented Discipline: Or, What Economics Taught Me About the Study of Religion’. Journal of the American Academy of Religion 88, no. 4 (2020): 981–1001.
  • MacDonald, W. Brock, and June Seel. ‘Research Using the Internet’.
  • Martinich, A. P. Philosophical Writing: An Introduction. 4th ed. Malden: Wiley Blackwell, 2016.
  • Meyers, Alan. Longman Academic Writing Series 5: Essays to Research Papers. White Plains: Pearson Education, 2014.
  • Morley, John. ‘Academic Phrasebank’.
  • Murray, Rowena. How to Write a Thesis. 2nd ed. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2006.
  • Orwell, George. Why I Write. London: Gangrel, 1946.
  • Pirie, David B. How to Write Critical Essays: A Guide for Students of Literature. London: Routledge, 2002.
  • Schwartz, Martin A. ‘The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research’. Journal of Cell Science 121, no. 11 (2008): 1771.
  • Shields, MunLing. Essay Writing: A Student’s Guide. London: SAGE Publications, 2010.
  • Strunk, Jr., William. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. with Revisions, an Introduction, and a Chapter on Writing by E. B. White. New York: Longman, 2000.
  • Swales, John M., and Christine B. Feak. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. 3rd ed. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 2012.
  • ––––––––. Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills – A Course for Nonnative Speakers of English. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1994.
  • Sword, Helen. Stylish Academic Writing. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2012.
  • Szymborska, Wisława. How to Start Writing (and When to Stop): Advice for Writers. Edited and translated by Clare Cavanagh. New York: New Directions, 2021.
  • Taylor, Gordon. A Student’s Writing Guide: How to Plan and Write Successful Essays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Thompson, Carolyn Roberts. Reading German for Theological Studies: A Grammar and Reader. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2021.
  • Turley, Richard Marggraf. Writing Essays: A Guide For Students in English and the Humanities. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2001.
  • Van Geyte, Els. Writing: Learn to Write Better Academic Essays. London: Collins, 2013.
  • Wilkinson, David, ed. The Researcher’s Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Practitioner Research. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2000.
  • Williams, Joseph M. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1990.
  • Zemach, Dorothy E., and Lisa A. Rumisek. Academic Writing from Paragraph to Essay. 2nd ed. Oxford: Macmillan Education, 2005.
  • Ziefle, Helmut W. Modern Theological German: A Reader and Dictionary. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997.
  • Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. 7th ed., rev. New York: Harper Perennial, 2016.

Image: Middle School, Section 7 at Mae Ra Moe Karen Refugee Camp, Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand. Photo by J. P. Veoux, via Twitter.