The Grind is a series of interviews with young scholars and PhD students on the many ways of “making a way” in the theological academy, and all the trials and joys therein. In this interview, Steven Nemes, who earned his PhD in theology in 2021 from Fuller Theological Seminary and currently teaches Latin and Greek at North Phoenix Prepatory Academy, discusses life in Pasadena during his PhD days, his discovery of philosophy and theology, and his experience working outside the academy post-PhD.
Show Notes
COUPON CODE:
*Use code “NEMES23” for 40% off* Dr. Nemes’ new book, Theological Authority in the Church: Reconsidering Traditionalism and Hierarchy.
PODCAST LINKS:
Dr. Nemes’ website: https://stevennemes.com/
SOURCES MENTIONED:
Kitamori, Kazoh. Theology of the Pain of God.
Nemes, Steven. Orthodoxy and Heresy.
———. Theological Authority in the Church: Reconsidering Traditionalism and Hierarchy.
———. Theology of the Manifest: Christianity without Metaphysics.
Radner, Ephraim. A Brutal Unity: The Spiritual Politics of the Christian Church.
Schaeffer, Francis A. The God Who Is There.
OUTLINE:
(00:00) – Herbal tea and soda water
(04:12) – Arizona State – Fuller Seminary
(07:10) – From Francis Schaeffer to Michel Henry to Kazoh Kitamori
(14:48) – Theological authority: Protestantism beyond the need for theological certainty
(21:30) – Applying to PhD programs
(27:17) – Picking a dissertation topic: phenomenology of Scripture
(29:47) – Phenomenology of religion: Catholic and Protestant
(36:09) – PhD paradise in Pasadena
(40:55) – PhD funding: Templeton grant
(42:22) – Planning for post-PhD life/job apps/first job
(49:25) – Staying active in the academic community as a non-academic (professionally speaking)
(54:14) – Working outside the academy
(57:40) – Balancing (theological) work and family life
(01:01:14) – Advice for prospective PhD students
(01:04:54) – New book: Theological Authority in the Church
Steven Nemes (PhD Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, 2021) is an instructor of Latin and Greek at North Phoenix Preparatory Academy and an academic theologian who writes about phenomenology, theology, and the intersection of the two.