Is There a Doctor in the House? (Book Review)

There are few decisions I regret more than the desire to be “normal” again. After seminary, I dove right into a year of doctoral studies before realizing I needed a break. The break was glorious. I read all kinds of things, worked through personal issues, thought great thoughts, did “practical” things. And all the while, I was driven by this need to keep going, one that had been instilled at Dallas.

And then a few years later, with a full-time job, a growing family, a mortgage, and some heartbreak in ministry, I wanted out. I wanted the book monkey off my back. I wanted to be “free.” I decided to be normal. I switched from reading books to listening to audiobooks. I added politics and comedy to my podcast diet. And slowly, eventually, things shifted.

And now I want nothing more than to have it back.

Last year, while up in the middle of the night with our newborn, I decided to forego the usually Netflix, opened Kindle instead, and began reading Is There a Doctor in the House? An Insider’s Story and Advice on Becoming a Bible Scholar by Ben Witherington III. It was a great choice. Accessible enough to read in between tasks, but relevant to my ongoing interests in education and theology.

In this book, Witherington surveys the various facets of Bible scholarship, such as language studies, theological studies, historical studies, literary analysis, writing, etc. Each chapter builds on the last, is full of wisdom on each of its topics, and is seasoned with personal experiences. And indeed, one of the charms and frustrations of biblical scholarship is the breadth required for study. A great many skills go into the work. Covering such broad subjects in a limited space is impossible, but the essentials are here for anyone looking for a reliable map.

Witherington writes from the Wesleyan branch of the family, and while this informs his experiences, it does not appear to shade his judgements. One would be hard-pressed to find how the advice might be different from another denominational perspective.

In terms of what may be lacking, I might start by recommending a chapter on administration. The politics of higher education are in one sense unique, and in another not at all. Someone aspiring to a career in higher education would benefit from those principles and insights as much as any others. That it is missing is not surprising; it is difficult to speak candidly about politics without making enemies, or at least tweaking noses. But his chapter on character might offer a beneficial first step toward this end.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the experiences in the book are those of a past generation. Now do not misunderstand, that is incredibly valuable and rich. But someone looking to do doctoral studies today should be aware that much has changed in the past few decades. Jobs are more scarce. Costs are higher. Schools are changing. Again, this is not to denigrate the insights that are here, but to warn against those who might imagine their journey will be much the same as one undertaken in the age before the Internet.

Still, for someone wondering what this life looks like, this is an excellent primer. I imagine it would be most helpful for Bible college students, or perhaps first-year seminarians. I found value in it as a post-graduate drop-out because it affirmed many of the things that I had come to doubt about myself and the system. It reminded me that there is a place for people with the interests I have. It reminded me of the good in things about which I had grown cynical. And ultimately, it was an invitation to dream again about what could be.