Assignments and their Titles

When you receive your assignments for BA or MA of whatever type of theology, how do you go about choosing which is best for you?

In this blog, I will try to help you check out the options from your tutor's offerings. What does s/he want from each assignment? Are there parts to the assignment? How will it be marked? Does it need a presentation and a written element submitted or is it 'just' an essay?

Analysing what there is to do is a priority before you choose. Some titles may be misleading you into a waffly vague answer. So read each phrase; read it as a whole? Is there an answer that they're aiming at or is there a nuanced argument to be discussed? What are the trending debates in academia over this subject? Which intrigues you most? What therefore would motivate your research and keep you at it on time, not procrastinating?

Try making some notes on the possibilities, priorities, practicalities of your diary...

Let's try an example. Choices of assignment for a Module on Pentecostal Studies: -

1. A critical discussion on defining the word "pentecostalisms" as understood across the world. 3000 words.

2. Pentecostalism was better or worse in its attractiveness to the non-Christian in its beginnings compared to today's Pentecostal churches in Britain: discuss critically with reference to ONE denomination of your choice.

3. Discuss whether Charismatic churches have maintained their renewalist intentions over the 50 plus years since they started?

Choosing No.1 implies a wide discussion on definitions. Is it too wide to cope with?

Choosing No.2 might mean you have to discover the history of one particular denomination; do not mix others in with it apart from a cross-reference perhaps. Have you access to their primary sources? If not, maybe this is not a good choice.

Choosing No.3 means you start halfway through the 20th C in historic terms but you have to discover their ethos as renewalists vis a vis other forms- restorationist perhaps. So this implies both history and definitions are needed with primary sources and theology!

If you were to choose no.1 what would you think of first? Re-read the title.

1. A critical discussion on defining the word "pentecostalisms" as understood across the world. 3000 words.

• Analyse the issue:- Pentecostal+ ism+ s (a plural). + Worldwide. What problem do all those terms and issues imply there may be?

• Definition? So there are more ways than one to define Pentecostal. Such as what? - theologically? ecclesiologically? culturally?

• Who might have defined it for us? When and in what context?

• Who might have questioned their definitions?

• Does 'world' mean I have to indicate the many variations of 'Western', to South American to Indian to Japanese, to South or West or East Africa or what?

• Are there opposing opinions? on what grounds?

• Are there default understandings in 'my' understanding of the term? Have I got biases pro or against from my own background?

• Do the writers 'out there' have different backgrounds that help them define the term differently to me? Why?

• Has the term "Pentecostal" developed over the past century? Connotations change.

• How would I conclude it? -pin on one definition or present a broad-ranging definition of commonalities among many denominations/ networks etc.?

There are a few questions the title raises. Pull the title to pieces. Work out what it implies. Can you cope with it? Have you access to the resources necessary? So you have more than enough to squeeze into 3000 words as this appears to be bigger than a 2000 word essay can manage. If this is

MA level it may require 4500 words. How would you tackle it? To start with -do not procrastinate! Let's leave the structure etc. for a future Blog!

Please ask me some issues you have faced in choosing your assignments. There is a contact point on the website or Linkedin or Facebook for me - Anne Dyer.