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I suppose that I began my serious study of religion as something more than just a classroom exercise when I was in the seminary theologate during the early 1950s. I hasten to add that the reason for this beginning was not the course of studies in philosophy and theology that I endured there for seven years. My formal studies at the seminary consisted of an exposure to the most deadly kind of manualism one can possibly imagine, an adherence by instructors to the words of textbooks (in Latin, of course) without the slightest inclination to go beyond the words to the issues and the history which had been digested by the authors of the manuals. It was required that we memorize these words (in Latin) and give them back to our teachers in exams both written and oral. Anything more than that was considered dangerous for young men who were to be ordained for the service of a Church which was beyond change and whose role was to be dutiful and obedient assistant pastors for the rest of their lives. Such young men were not supposed to think too much.

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-63214-5_10

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