Additional Comments |
Dr. Veenker is easily the best teacher I've had at Western. More to the point, he is the best religious studies professor I've had there. He is a scholar of ancient religions and languages as well as Judaic traditions.
The only problem with his classes is that he is a scholar at a University and 1/2 to 2/3 of his students are uncritical Christians who expect a Sunday school lesson (try Trafton if this is what you're looking for). These students are often rude, leaving in the middle of class, ignoring Dr. Veenker, and sighing and laying their heads on their desks, and sometimes exclaiming "Thank God!" when he dismisses class.
The point is that, when looking over these evaluations, keep in mind who wrote them. Take them with a grain of salt. I'm willing to bet that Dr. Veenker is far more knowledgable about the Bible than any preacher you've ever met and definitely more intellectually honest (if you don't know what that last phrase means, do yourself and the serious students a favor and take Trafton instead).
Dr. Veenker is intelligent, educated, interesting, friendly, and funny. He will hold your attention if you have a sense of humor and truly want to learn about the subject matter. It helps to have some knowledge of Monty Python, Mel Brooks, and various other "high brow" comedic icons, but this is not a pre-requisite.
Oh, and don't be surprised if he knows you, your parents, or your high school English teacher. He's been everywhere in the U.S. and knows everybody from the guys who translated the NIV Bible to Rachel Harriman's parents (my apologies for butchering your name, if indeed I did, Rachel).
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