A Tale of Two Cities
John Netland, Professor of English
Calvin College English Department website

Summary

The Christian teacher of composition can affirm neither a simplistic ethic of adherence to classical standards of elegance nor a contemporary imperative of self-expression, but must teach and write guided by principles of creational theology.

Key Points

• Consider composition pedagogy as a tale of two cities, with London as the symbol of classical standards and Berkeley as the symbol of self-expression. The Christian teacher cannot be too comfortable in either city.

• The Christian teacher must see words as created instruments, to be used to serve and transform the creation.

Key Statements

• "The composition pedagogy symbolized by London emphasizes standardization, propriety, and correctness."

• "The Berkeley composition philosophy emphasizes writing as a self-authenticating, self-creating activity. One writes, not just to express one's self, but to discover-even to create-a self."

• "So here we have our two cities, London and Berkeley, geographical representatives of a set of pedagogical oppositions - tradition vs. innovation, craft vs. art, mastery of rhetorical skills vs. experimental personal expression, authoritative rules vs. self-creative freedom. Each city has much to recommend it, yet both are reduced to caricature when its local ordinances are prescribed as universal laws."

• "What implications does a creational theology have for the composition classroom? It reminds us that language is intimately related to the power and being of God: language originates in God; language is powerful; language is creative. I need to convey to my students the passionate respect for words and meaning that this realization prompts in me. Words matter; writing matters."

• "As humans, we are scarred by our fallen condition, and we share in the brokenness of a world tainted by willful disobedience against divine authority. The human self is thus not the sole warrant or source of creativity. Genius is not its own justification."

• "A purely self-absorbed rhetoric seldom cultivates originality but may, in fact, ensure cultural conformity."

• "The antidote for cultural conformity, as the Apostle Paul writes, is not simply to assert one's individuality, but is, rather, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and that we may discover the will of God in that which is 'good and acceptable and perfect' (Rom. 12:2)."

• "We do not write merely for self-aggrandizement. We write to communicate, to be understood. Hence, we should write for others as we would have others write for us."