howtocommunicatewithacademic

(Via: SMBC)

Comments (14)

14 Comments

Ken
October 14th, 2010 | 12:48 pm

That’s cute, but there’s a ready-made answer for the question intended to stupify a theologian: Matthew 22:29ff.

astorian
October 14th, 2010 | 12:53 pm

The question that’s supposed to stupefy the theologian… didn’t Jesus already deal with that one 2,000 years ago (see Luke 20:27)? The Sadducees thought it was a stumper, too.

Of course, it might STILL be a stumper, seeing how little attenetion many modern theologians pay to anytign Jesus said.

pentamom
October 14th, 2010 | 2:26 pm

That assumes that the academic theologian believes that looking something up in the Bible is a useful way to answer a theological question. Unfortunately, ‘taint necessarily so.

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October 14th, 2010 | 3:29 pm

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Edward Amsden
October 14th, 2010 | 4:14 pm

SMBC is like so many webcomics. Very worth reading through some a lot of the cruft to find insightful pearls like these.

publius
October 14th, 2010 | 4:39 pm

Another “First Thoughts” effort at bashing academics. Why the inferiority complex?

Joe Carter
October 14th, 2010 | 5:00 pm

publius Another “First Thoughts” effort at bashing academics. Why the inferiority complex?

Huh? What does that even mean? At least 10 of the bloggers on this blog’s masthead are academics. (Even I’m a lowly adjunct professor.)

Steve
October 14th, 2010 | 6:09 pm

Publius, relax. Or, as it was said better in the film “Stripes”: “Lighten up, Francis.”

publius
October 14th, 2010 | 6:18 pm

Glad to hear you’re a lowly adjunct. There have been a few posts over the past few months that seemed to suggest that higher education is a waste of time (which unfortunately it can be in certain institutions). But perhaps its been the end of a long day and I need to lighten up.

jason taylor
October 14th, 2010 | 6:47 pm

“Another “First Thoughts” effort at bashing academics. Why the inferiority complex?”

Because academics are there

publius
October 14th, 2010 | 7:12 pm

Re Jason’s comments:

Case closed.

Kamilla
October 14th, 2010 | 11:08 pm

My favorite philosopher joke:

What’s the difference between a philosopher and a large pepperoni pizza?

The pizza can feed a family of four.

Bret Lythgoe
October 15th, 2010 | 2:33 am

This reminds me of the amusing observation made by Phillip Daileader, in his excellent Teaching Company tapes, on THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES, that, during the middle ages, being a theologian, was the best, and highest of endeavors, and being a doctor, was lower. But, now, if a parent dicovered that his child was going to be a doctor, she would be proud, but, if the son wanted to be a theologian, she would be woried about him.

Some could argue that this is a result of the lack of credibility that religion has in our culture, but one might arguably conclude that this is a result of theologians :)

Chuck
October 15th, 2010 | 11:47 am

Hilarious. Of course if the academic is noted for his wit he might have a comeback for any of them. I remember one time hearing a colleague respond, when asked what he did, “I give people reasons to commit suicide.”