Wednesday, May 27, 2015

academic disciplines

Academic disciplines are a little weird in my mind.

A biology teacher teaches biology. Whether s/he is a "biologist" or not is up for grabs.

A sociology teacher teaches sociology. Whether s/he is a "sociologist" or not is open to question.

A philosophy teacher teaches philosophy ... and yet is often unblinkingly referred to as a "philosopher."

This last leaves me scratching my head. And I guess the same thing is true for spiritual discipline. Is anyone a certifiable Christian because they teach Christianity ... or a Buddhism teacher a Buddhist?

It's a somehow-sour note in my musical lexicon... close, perhaps, but in the old carnival-speak, "no cigar!"

1 comment:

  1. I've heard that all doctors were hypochondriacs, cops were crooks, and shrinks are crazy. So perhaps a teacher is drawn to their particular course of study for similar interests. But that's just an old chestnut of doubtful value and my own musings. All i can say is i had a need that drew me to practice. And i'm willing to share my experience of it. But i wouldn't call it teaching.

    ReplyDelete