Seminary Education and the Bad Haircut: Helping Students Give an Honest Answer to the Question “Do You Like It?”

The commercial begins and the experience is one that is instantly familiar. A man is sitting in a chair at a hair salon looking into the mirror, eyes wide with a forced grin. He is trying to look pleased. He is trying to stay calm. He is projecting his confidence in the skills of the hairstylist as he nervously watches each lock of hair fall to the ground.

And then we hear it…the inner panic, the real emotions, the concerned thoughts as he watches his hair being cut. He forces a few sobs. As pieces of hair fall to the ground he asks “What? What was that? That’s too much.” He pleads, “look at me!” as the hairstylist chats to a co-worker continuing to cut locks of hair. Now he is yelling, “You’re not even looking at my hair! Stop talking to her and pay attention!”

And when the moment of truth arrives, when she asks “so do you like it?” he nods and replies, “Yes” but we hear the panicked scream of “Nooooo!”

I have had many moments exactly like this while getting my hair done. The only other time I remember experiencing this moment of panic and concern, smiling and nodding when I wanted to scream “Nooooo!” was in 1999, the second semester of first year Seminary study.

Pluralism, Seminary Education, and the Bad Haircut

Pluralism, the condition in which two or more groups/ideas/options coexist, has an immediate impact on students before they enter seminary, while they are studying, and when they enter pastoral ministry. As educators in the fields of Religious and Biblical Studies, we seek to develop the critical thinking skills of our students. Most of us do this by presenting options: translation options, textual options, historical options, application options, and a range of methods and interpretative options.

But presenting all the options is only one part of developing successful critical thinking skills for seminary students. The part that many of us overlook is education on the emotional response students will have to all the options. Preparing students to understand, discuss, and engage personal beliefs in a pluralistic context requires us to help our students understand why they accept certain options – what they like – and why they reject other options – what they don’t like.

My emotions were very real as new methods, theories, and approaches to Bible interpretation began to challenge beliefs that had been so comfortable and familiar to me. What? What was that? I knew that the professor was the trained expert and was taking us somewhere but I didn’t know that I was going to lose so much in the process. What? What was that? That’s too much! And sure, as my options for interpreting the Bible expanded, I was asked if I understood or needed clarification but I was never asked how I felt about the options. Do you like it? Noooo!

Critical thinking and the question “Do you like it?”

Instead of waiting for these moments to happen, the moment when some piece of information you share leads a student to panic, force a grin, and nod “yes” when they really want to scream “no!” I try to create these moments in my teaching as part of the necessary skills of critical thinking. I do this by asking, “do you like what you just heard?” and I have found this question serves my students in three ways.

Do you like it? Eyes Wide with a Forced Grin

First, asking this question helps students understand that pluralism can create a default posture of acceptance when the reality is that they do not accept the option. I want them to recognize that they are hiding their true evaluation of the option. I want them to contemplate why they think that they have to “like” everything they hear. I want them to acknowledge how they feel about the option. Do you like it? Don’t say “yes” if you want to say “no.”

Do you like it? Projecting Calm when I’m Panicked and Concerned

Second, asking this question highlights for students that while pluralism is the academic and cultural reality, personal beliefs come from the process of accepting certain options and rejecting other options. I want them to understand that everyone, even their professor, chooses to accept or reject options for belief. I want them to accept that they have preferences that will influence their evaluation of the options. I want them to examine the options they accept and the ones they reject in an honest and informed manner. Do you like it? Don’t say “yes” if you want to say “no.”

Do you like it? Nodding in agreement when you are so wrong!

Third, asking this question helps students correct the common misunderstanding that pluralism, many options exist, is relativism, all options are equally valid. I want them to stop being confused about the many options for personal beliefs. I want them to stop being oblivious to their natural inclination to “not like” one of the options. I want them to be equipped to explain why they prefer one option as opposed to another so they can dialogue about the options for belief. Do you like it? Don’t say “yes” if you want to say “no.”

Emotions Can Teach

As educators, we know that there is nothing new about pluralism. People have always had multiple options for religious and spiritual beliefs. What does seem to be “new” is the need to help students think critically about their emotional reactions to all the options for belief and provide them with the tools to evaluate all the options.

Let’s begin to ask students if they like what they just heard, create classrooms where they can honestly express their questions and concerns, and empower them to dialogue with an understanding of the beliefs they accept and the ones they reject.

Emotions and their effect on Adult Learning – a Constructivist perspective by Giorgio Bertini

 

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