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A branch of the WFU School of Divinity
Keeping you informed

October 1, 2009 Volume 5, Issue 2

A whirlwind of refreshing preaching

Barbara Brown Taylor teaches weekend class
By Brian Layman
Staff Writer

Last weekend the

Wake Forest University
School of Divinity was
pleased to host Barbara
Brown Taylor.
Not only did Professor
Taylor teach a weekend

inside course entitled “Preach-

ing From Scratch,” which

this issue was open to all divin-

ity school students, but
she also gave multiple
lectures/sermons open
2 Student Spotlight: to the public, culminat-
John Carter ing in her sermon Sun- to experience gave me a who was ordained in
Faculty Journey: day night at “Worship chance to put everything 1984. She is an alumna
Marc Hirschman in Wait.” Barbara Brown else aside and seek after of Yale Divinity School
Taylor preached from God. The weekend was and in 1996, Baylor Uni-
Mark 9 challenging the exactly what I needed to versity named her one of
audience to re-think
3 Community in Review their perceptions on who
get excited about life and
Divinity School all over
the twelve most effective
preachers in the English
should be included in again,” said second-year speaking world. She
the Christian community student Shannon Axtell. currently teaches World
4 Common Thread, and who should not. “In full disclosure: I’m Religions at Piedmont
Worship Bulletin, “I was extremely ner- not a preacher, nor do I College, a small rural
Sincerely Sophia and vous and intimidated to have aspirations to work university in northwest
Trivial Inquisition take a preaching class in the pulpit. Yet, de- Georgia.
with Barbara Brown Tay- spite my initial concerns Professor Taylor has
lor. I never thought I about whether I was written numerous books
would say that such a long suited for this type of and articles. Her most
5 Top Ten class went by too fast, course, I thought Barbara recent publication An Al-
Superhero but it truly did. There Brown Taylor’s lectures tar in the World: A Geog-
Powers is something so real and were both accessible and raphy of Faith has been
refreshing about Barbara remarkably insightful,” praised by Marcus Borg
Brown Taylor’s presence remarked third-year stu- as “Elegant, wise, and in-
and the perspectives of
6 Entertainment the Gospel she brought
dent Adam Woods. sightful, this book is also
Barbara Brown Taylor sacramental: It mediates
to us. The moments of is an Episcopal priest the life it describes.”
Sabbath she helped me
 Page 2

The lawyer and the minister: an interview with John Carter

By Ben Wright law with a firm for sev- wouldn’t use the same
Staff Writer eral years. His focus was words, he did comment,
“Getting to enjoy how on federal civil litigation. “It is fair to say that I
you make your money In 2000, he left the firm did not have the sense of
is a luxury not everyone and returned to Kentucky excitement about the fu-
gets,” said third-year to work with his father, a ture, about my future . . .
John Carter. “There’s a county attorney. While that I do now.”
million ways to structure he enjoyed working with Carter went on to de-
a life,” he later added. his family, he still didn’t scribe the summer after
Many students know feel like the legal profes- his calling as a preg-
of this Owenton, Ky. sion was the right fit for nancy, and his time at
native’s history in law, him. WFUSD as the infancy; a
but that was not always “In 2006, I felt a period of rapid growth
the case. John Carter be- strong call to make what and being pulled in ways
gan his college career had been a background he hadn’t anticipated. “It
would be a lot of memo- theme in my life come has not always been fun,
as a pre-med candidate rization, something that
at Samford University to the forefront,” said but it has always been
John does not like as Carter. fantastic,” said Carter.
where he majored in much.
English and minored in He began looking at In addition to recalling
“As an English major divinity schools. Though class memories with pro-
Biology. what I really like to do
In November of his he toured several, he fessors like Crainshaw,
is to read and to analyze only applied to one. Tupper, and Walls, John
senior year, he took the then to write and to com-
LSATs in what he calls John joined Wake Forest notes that the communi-
municate. Law school School of Divinity in the ty that gets built outside
a “fluke.” His resultant uses those skills in ways
scores were too high to fall of 2007. “I can tell of class is also an integral
medicine doesn’t,” said you that it means com- part of the experience.
disregard, so he applied Carter.
to four schools at ran- ing to claim a sense of “I think First Street
John was accepted promise about life that I is almost like the Div.
dom. However, it wasn’t and attended Duke Law
until he took a course have never experienced,” School Annex,” said
School following his said Carter. John recalls Carter.”
in Cell Biology that he graduation from Sam-
discerned the next step that good friend and Outside of the Div.
ford. After three years WFUSD alum Kevin Sin- School, John likes to go
in his future. It was in of judicial study, Cart-
this course that he real- clair referred to Carter’s to movies and run with
er moved to Nashville, law experience as “soul his dog Scout.
ized that medical school Tenn. where he practiced crushing.” While Carter

Faculty Journey Marc Hirschman

By Pete Zimmerman camp but the day schools logical and worked at Co-
Staff Writer he attended were ortho- lumbia teaching religion.
dox. After finishing his
Wake Forest is glad “In those days the left orals, he left for Israel in
to have Dr. Hirschman wing orthodox was not 1976. Dr. Hirschman is a
teaching here for part of too far from some ele- dual citizen of the United
the fall semester and we ments of Conservative States and Israel and cur-
wanted to know a little Judaism but that would rently teaches at Hebrew
more about him. not be as true today.” university of Jerusalem,
Marc was born in Chi- After high school Marc which was founded in
cago and lived on the went to Columbia and 1925.
south side. In fact it studied history and also His dissertation was
was not far from where studied Talmud at the on a critical edition of
Michelle Obama grew Jewish theological semi- the Midrash on Ecclesias-
up.” [She was] just a few nary. He went to Israel tes so he has been work-
blocks away though she and studied at the gradu- ing in Ecclesiastes for a
would be much younger Judaism. He went to pri-
vate Jewish day schools ate level for a few years, long time. There were
than I.” mostly studying Greek some technical reasons
His extended fam- through high school. He
remembers going to con- and Jewish thought. He he chose Ecclesiastes but
ily was a mixture of the then went and did his
different traditions in servative Jewish summer See Hirschman page 3
doctorate at Jewish theo-
 Page 3

Tomato soup, Cuban bread and the Events and Announcements

Beatitudes’ second meeting
By Adam Huffman
Staff Writer
For those of you who
didn’t attend the Tues-
day evening meeting of
the Beatitudes Society,
you should have been
there.
This was the second
meeting this semes-
ter. With the menu of a
home-made tomato basil
soup, Cuban bread, and
fine wines, it could eas-
ily be dubbed “The Finer
Things Society Meeting,”
but there is more than
just a great meal.
The Society gathers
every other week to share
a meal but also to share
in Scripture reading and
reflection. The meeting
participates in the prac-
tice of the lectio divina,
which is a communal
reading of the Scripture
text by several voices.
Believing that we all hear
the passage differently,
this communal reading
allows each participant
to share in the insights
of the others present.
The Beatitudes Soci-
ety meets every other
Tuesday at 5:30. Anyone
interested can speak to
Courtney Allen for more
information. All are wel-
come.
Birthdays
Courtney Allen, October 6
Hilary Floyd, October 8
Lynn Rose, October 8
Ellen Sizemore, October 8
Activities
Julius Pryor III,
October 5 & 6, Contact Sister Larretta for more info
Beatitudes Society Meal & Contemplation,
October 6, 5:30 p.m., at 114 Lindbergh St.
Anniversaries? Special occasions? Accomplishments?
Group meetings and events?
Share events and announcements by emailing
thetablet@live.com
Visit 336events.com for local events

Hirschman from page 2

he says he was also as
drawn to it.
When he finished that
he did post doctoral work
at Cambridge where he
studied the early church
fathers. His first book
was a comparison of pa-
tristic and rabbinic work
on the bible, which was
called The Rivalry of Ge-
nius.
In discussing his ca-
reer path he shared that
he could have been a rab-
bi but opted not to seek
that religious vocation.
He knew he wanted to
go to Israel and the need
for rabbis in the United
States was pressing and
the challenges facing
Judaism and the Jewish
people in America were
great and he had many
of his colleagues opt to
work as rabbis here in
America.
Dr. Hirschman says
the people of Winston
have been wonderful and
it is an extremely pretty
area and quite relaxing.
“For someone who
comes from the Middle
East you can’t know how
important that is. And it
is very collegial and the
students have been good
as well.”

Q. If you could have a superpower,

Everything I touched would
turn to red and purple skittles.
- Bob Stillerman, First Year
Like to fly anywhere; any
time I wanted on my own
schedule.
- Courtney Allen, Third Year
what would it be?
Remember everything that I have
seen and read verbatim; perfect memory,
and I would love to harness the power of
a storm.
-Jeremy Carlton, First Year.
Mind control and super speed.
- Blake Miller, Second Year
The ability to make fun of Blake
Miller and to have Jason Apicella as
my sidekick.
- Scott Looney, Second Year
 Page 4

Common ThreadSeaming the Creative Soul The Trivial Inquisition

Each issue of the Tablet will feature a trivia
By Charles Smith for naps. God’s action question about the divinity school or someone
Copy Editor in the world did not end in the divinity school. E-mail the correct answer
with creation, so I don’t to thetablet@live.com on the day of publication.
I love naps. There I
think of God’s post-cre- The subject line must be “Trivial Inquisition.”
said it. I have had plenty
ation Sabbath as an es- One correct answer will be selected at random
of conversations about
chatological metaphor to win a prize. Winners will be notified via email
the evils of naps. I have
for what will happen at and will be printed in the following issue. Good
heard all the arguments
the end of life. Rather, luck!
against naps: they are
the Sabbath is a time of
counter-productive, they
rest that allowed God to Q: What WFUSD student is taking Krav Maga?
make you more tired,
recharge the divine bat-
they waste precious
tery before continuing
time, they wrinkle your
in God’s work. God took
clothes and mess up
some time out of God’s
your hair, and they give
busy schedule for a little
you nap-breath. Super
catnap (the cat, having
Type A people (or Type
just been created, was
A+ people if you will) ab-
already napping).
solutely despise naps for
For you NT people,
these reasons. Allow me
think of how many times
to disagree.
Jesus just wanted to
Naps should be an
get away from everyone
essential element in ev-
for some R&R. When
ery Divinity student’s
he calmed the storm,
life. Whether or not naps
he was just looking for
actually solve sleepi-
a little peace and quiet
ness, they certainly are
so he could continue
relaxing. How many of
his nap. Follow the ex-
us spend the entire day/
week/semester stressed
ample! Spiritual well-be- Worship Bulletin
ing comes as a result of
out of our minds? No
one can function that
proper balance between Oct. 6 at 11:00 a.m. in Wait Chapel: Fall
rest and toil, relaxation Convocation features Dr. Alton Pollard, Dean
way! A time of rest, or
and exertion. So don’t
even a time of slow, me-
be ashamed to take that of Howard University School of Divinity
thodic breathing, can
holy nap! In the dance of
work wonders for the Oct. 13 at 11:00 a.m. in Davis Chapel: Third-
life, make sure you take
spirit.
God set the standard
a break between songs. year Andrew Heil will preach.

An advice column of sorts

Send your letters to Sophia at thetablet@live.com

 Page 5

the
tablet a branch of the WFU School of Divinity
keeping you informed
Top Ten
Melissa Guthrie-Johnson
Editor-in-Chief
top 10
Christa Chappelle Wake Div. Superhero Names and Powers
Design Editor
10. Dr. Leonard –“The Gesture” – powers of
persuasion through hand motions.
Charles Smith
Copy Editor 9. John Carter – “The Baron of 1st Street”
– no one can resist his magnetic influence
nor escape his intimate conversations.

Adam Huffman 8. Dr. Dunn – “No Spin Zone” – says what

Artwork & Photography Editor
he wants, when he wants, as loud as he
wants.

Barrett Wooten 7. Anne Jones – “Super Luther” – able to

Staff Writer disrupt paradigms with a single flyer and
looks great in a hooded robe.

6. Blake Miller – “The Lewd Linguist” – you

Ben Wright know exactly what we mean.
Staff Writer

5. Pete Zimmerman –”The Flash” –

finishes a test before it even began.
Brian Layman
Staff Writer
4. Cindy Good – “Insert pun on last name.”

3. Derek Wilhelm – “The French Tickler”

Pete Zimmerman – fear the power of the mustache.
Staff Writer
2. Sister Larretta – “Prayer” – that’s a
The Tablet is a bi-monthly publication of the Wake Forest University power, right?
School of Divinity and serves as an informative, community-building
vehicle. Submissions can be e-mailed to TheTablet@live.com. Please
include a contact phone number or e-mail address. Submissions must be 1. Carter McNeese – “Divsocial Apothe-
no longer than 250 words. The right to edit is reserved. Please note that
the newsletter content does not represent the views or opinions of the cary” – fills inboxes, requests prescriptions
divinity school or all Tablet members.

Despite flaws, Inglourious movie still delivers
By Scott Looney
Staff Writer
Quentin Tarantino is
cinema’s greatest thief.
The most astounding as-
pect of his thievery is his
utter disregard for the
quality of his source ma-
terials. That fact shone
most brightly in his Kill
Bill saga where he paid
homage to exploitation
films, kung-fu movies,
and spaghetti westerns.
In Inglourious Basterds
he borrows from more
highly regarded genres.
Compared to the “black-
sploitation” movies Tar-
antino mimicked, Kill Bill
was amazing. Basterds
is different; there are
scenes in which Taran-
tino attempts to channel
Leone and Hitchcock, but
instead he pantomimes.
Sure, his suspenseful
scenes are pretty good
Hitchcock imitations,
but where he exceeded
the films he copied in
Kill Bill, he falls short in
Basterds. Still, his imita-
tions are a delight even
if he never recreates the
suspense from Sabotage,
the build-up to violence
in The Good the Bad and
the Ugly, or the wartime
group dynamics of Guns
of the Navaronne.
Though Inglourious
Basterds is a flawed mov-
ie, it is still a fantastic
movie. As in other Tar-
antino flicks, Basterds
does not just reference
other films, but cinema
itself. The climax of the
movie takes place in a
movie theatre. Actors,
directors, film critics,
Page 6
projectionists are all ful. Tarantino has often
characters. The fun lies appeared on screen in
in the juxtaposition of his movies. Here he puts
cinema and war. The two his very act of movie
worlds meld together making on screen.
often times explicitly, One ought to remem-
a film critic becomes a ber that Inglourious
soldier, a Nazi leader be- Basterds is a movie with-
comes a director, a sol- out heroes. The group of
dier becomes an actor, Jewish-American soldiers
and other times implic- that hunt Nazis is far too
itly, a loaded projector is violent and vindictive
a loaded gun, a strategist to qualify as glorious;
is a director, a double heck, they’re too violent
agent has to negotiate to qualify as bastards.
his contract. Here is the Brad Pitt’s Aldo Rey is
scary part: the soldiers still incredibly likable,
are all good at their new but Christoph Waltz as a
roles, Goebbels is a great Nazi colonel is just as lik-
director! It is only the able. All around the act-
actress and the movie ing is superb and Waltz’s
critic who make key mis- villain will be the most
takes pretending to be memorable component.
spies and soldiers. It is The dialogue is superb,
in this juxtaposition that and moments of hilarity
Basterds is most success- are concurrent with mo-
ments of horror and sympathy; however, despite the
moments of brilliance, the screenplay has its short-
coming as well. None of the characters truly endear
themselves to the audience, and the climax does not
have the strange poignant ability to give everything
else meaning like it does in Pulp Fiction or Jackie
Brown.
Inglourious Basterds straddles the line between
very good and great. What it does well it does great.
There are simply a few things it does not do well.
Perhaps it went through too many edits, but it is
strange that Tarantino’s most traditional story arc
is his least satisfying. Of course a plot being less
satisfying than Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown is like a
scientist being less intelligent than Albert Einstein,
so that should not dissuade potential viewers. There
will be few movies this year better than Inglourious
Basterds, but even they will only be a little better.
Welcome, Scott Looney, to the Tablet Staff!
Are you interested in writing or photography?
The Tablet wants to hear from you. Send story
ideas to thetablet@live.com. All community mem-
bers are welcome to contribute newsletter content.
Need a few more work-study hours? Contact
Melissa Guthrie-Johnson to see how you can
become a part of paid staff.