A few weeks ago the Dean of ESR informed me that I was going to be permitted to take a six-month sabbatical. I began researching what I would want to do on my sabbatical.

For a few years I have thought about studying Arabic. For the past several years we have talked at ESR about the necessity for thinking about theological education and ministry within a multi-cultural context. Several people have been learning Spanish and traveling to Mexico and Central America to engage in cross-cultural ministry and theological education. It seemed to me to be a good idea to work at the same concept but in a different language, culture, and part of the world. So I began thinking about how I would go about learning Arabic and where I might want to travel to experience Arab and Islamic culture.

I didn't have to think long before I came upon the idea of traveling to Ramallah, Palestine and the Ramallah Friends School. After thinking about that for a few days and beginning to talk to the director of the school. I became aware of the local university, Birzeit University, and its Palestine and Arabic Studies Program. What became clear to me is that if I really wanted to make the most of this opportunity, I would need to spend the complete semester in Palestine.

The Dean has approved my sabbatical plans and has funding available to support me. Right now my plans are to focus on three main areas.

1. To be a Friend in Residence at Ramallah Friends School. I will want to participate in the life of the school and in the classroom. I will seek to find ways to be a part of the Friends community in Ramallah through the Friends International Center in Ramallah.
2. To take two classes at Birzeit University, hopefully one on Arabic and one Palestinian/Arabic culture. I've started to learn Arabic and look forward to the challenge of not only learning a language for reading but also for conversation.
3. I'm also hoping to teach a class at a theological school. Our work at ESR is in Christian theological education. I want to be a part of what Palestinian Christians are doing to train people for ministry. I've been in contact with Bethlehem Bible College and am awaiting an answer from them.

As the time approaches I'm sure my plans will develop and might even change. I am keeping up with the news in Palestine and sincerely hope that progress will be made for peaceful negotiations and the resolution of the conflict.

I have other plans for my sabbatical and will write about them in another blog. I am hoping to participate in an NEH summer seminar at the American Academy in Rome. I'll know about that in April. I hope to begin working on a book on Paul. It will be extremely interesting to work on a book on Paul, first in Rome and then in Palestine.

Those are my plans at the moment.