Throughout the summer, we will be meeting on Monday nights to look at the Bible and Christian tradition in order to wonder how these relate to the to the challenges of grad school.

That grad school is challenging is not a question. On top of this, the culture of grad school encourages bad habits, as a means to survive what can often be overwhleming, even for the healthiest of persons. The Guardian has published a great article naming some of the challenges, including how mental health issues are almost a given! See: www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/mar/01/mental-health-issue-phd-research-university

The Bible and Christian tradition presents a different picture, one where achievement is not the most important thing. Instead, the focus is more on joy, grace, simplicity, rest, failure, expressing frustration, and honesty. The clash between these two worlds, but also the surprising relevance of the Bible to academia, should lead to some interesting discussions and hopefully some wisdom for how to thrive better amidst the challenges of academia.