Think Write

Think Write is definitely a welcome to those who are engaged in higher theological learning as students (and definitely a good reminder also for those related to the field of academics) as the book discusses the various aspects of academic thinking and writing. That this book is written to assist and help the student learn the skills to meet the academic expectations of higher theological studies is what make this book a must read (especially the intended audience, those at the MTh studies and the doctoral studies level).

So what have I liked about this book? Right from the get-go the classification of problems that a student faces (personal-institutional-resources) was what got my attention. The best strength of this book is that it brings clarity of understanding which is foundational to good practice. That this book is not only a "how to" book that simply gives quick short-cuts, tips and tricks of the trade but that it begins with a "what to build on"-the foundation to build on, in this case understanding theological thinking, is noteworthy.

It is a very comprehensive book (I would say it is not so detailed to make it a tedious reading, but you get what is enough and to build on that: check bibliography) that has sought to cover all aspects of academic research and writing. Readers will definitely benefit from learning to see a topic through various perspective. For instance, an honest confession, I have had this notion that a research paper is what it is a research paper (forget how I define research) and Nigel comes along with the types of research paper; or to go one step back, clarifying what research is or rather "are" (I know the subject-verb agreement sounds odd there with the second option, but read the book and you will understand the grammatical dilemma there). I am guilty of using big words while communicating a fuzzy meaning: words like methodology, critical thinking, academic writing, thought paper, reflection, critical analysis, evaluation and so on. This is where the book offers clarity in being able to distinguish what is what and what is to be communicated and expected in return. 

There is this other dimension that I have loved in this book and that is the pointing to our faith and the church as significant recipients of the benefits of our learning (though the academia is the first field in which the work is presented). During my years as a student, Nigel had mentioned about doing writing our academic research papers "devotionally," to let our studies and what we learn also shape and nurture our faith and relationship with God (and I think when you are hard pressed with requirements it becomes difficult to keep this vision before you). 

Here is the summary of the book by the author himself (better than what I wrote, so please check out).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is pursuing a masters (MTh level) degree or higher in theological education. This is not just another book in the market to add to the population of books and mark a place in the shelves; this is a book intended to, as we would say, stand in the gap and bridge the need of students with the expectations placed on them. One of the good thing is that Nigel has a YouTube channel (as seen above) in which he has also taken time to make short explanatory videos on the chapters. Probably this will be a good place to start if you want to know what is in the book. If you have already read the book, these can be supplements. Either way, this is a win-win situation. Last words: Open a new tab. Go to Amazon India. Grab a copy!

Thank you for your time,

kk

p.s Nigel Ajay Kumar was my teacher for research methodology during my studies at the masters level.  Back then, I and my batch mates decided to take the offer to enroll again in the module (we had already done one) on research methodology, not that we failed the first time around, but because the institution was adopting a new citations style. I recommend this book not only because Nigel was my teacher, but because even as I read through the book, I can feel the passion, the energy and the urgency that he brings to teaching. He is one of the professors that I saw making more than enough comments in the narrow alleys of the margins on a paper, someone pacing back and forth restlessly even as thoughts wrestle for clarity in his mind, someone whose eyes gives off a glint when teaching in the class or conversing animatedly over lunch. To you, Nigel, "Thank you" and though I was not part of the theology stream, much has been learned.