By: Jana Dluehosh on August 31, 2023
What did come first? I would love to know! Is it nature, is it nurture, is it have a mentor like an older sibling or is it mirroring our parents? When I read through The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan I was drawn by the people, or as he states the “the Good,…
By: Dinka Utomo on August 31, 2023
The endeavor to secure a proper education represents a challenging and profoundly meaningful journey. Over time, humanity has encountered many obstacles and impediments in its pursuit of access to quality education. In this context, reflecting on this struggle reveals the pivotal role of education as a foundation for personal development, empowerment, and societal advancement on…
By: Jenny Steinbrenner Hale on August 31, 2023
As we approach our Fall 2023 Advance, I find myself knowing very little about our destination, Oxford. Fortunately, there are a variety of resources available through which to learn about this region of deep history, culture, and fascinating reputation. One such resource is The Secret History of Oxford, by Paul Sullivan. A Summary of Sullivan…
By: Sara Taylor Lattimore on August 31, 2023
The time for a new year and a new trip has arrived. This year Oxford will be the destination. A place I hope to come to love. Agendaless Leading up to our advance I find myself filling with anxiety and overwhelm. I will be traveling far away from my family once again to a place…
By: Todd E Henley on August 31, 2023
I’ve been looking forward to the Oxford Advance for a few months but what sold me was the famous quote by Dr. Jason Clark, “Oxford is the oldest, whitest, most elite place in the world…Let Oxford be Oxford.”1 As a black man growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest, diverse, and founded by…
By: Adam Harris on August 31, 2023
Here we go. Time to dust off the old blog cobwebs. I can almost hear the gears trying to crank back up in my head writing this post after the summer break! I have to say I never knew Oxford contained so many colleges within it, 44 to be exact. While reading through Paul Sullivan’s…
By: Greg McMullen on August 30, 2023
Through the Covid Pandemic also known as a black swan event, we can glean greatly from Nassim Nicholas book The Black Swan.[1] I found myself in a place of needing to sit a little longer and try something new, which was drinking tea. In the lounge of the hotel I sat and enjoyed good company…
By: David Beavis on August 30, 2023
It was the summer before my 8th grade year. My mother and I served in childcare at a Christian conference for missionaries held at The University of Exeter. Before we arrived at Exeter we spent a few days in London. As a 13-year-old, my impression was London was a place rich with history. There was…
By: Cathy Glei on August 29, 2023
The Secret History of Oxford by Paul Sullivan delves into the lesser-known aspects of Oxford University’s rich and storied past. Unveiling hidden narratives, the book explores intriguing stories that have shaped the university’s history. Historical narratives and timelines are intriguing to me for so many reasons, one of the reasons being that historical narratives expose…
By: Kim Sanford on August 29, 2023
As I read Secret History of Oxford I am struck by a number of things, some interesting yet unsurprising but others quite unexpected. In any case, in a few weeks we are headed to a town that is obviously steeped in history like few other places on Earth. We’re talking about history that few of…
By: Jenny Dooley on August 28, 2023
I never knew Oxford was on my bucket list until discovering it as a location for our Advance. It has been 43-years since I last traveled to the United Kingdom. Decades have passed with longings to visit destinations I missed during my summer backpacking adventure through Europe in 1980. I knew nothing about Oxford as…
By: Esther Edwards on August 28, 2023
As I read through the pages of Paul Sullivan’s “The Secret History of Oxford”, my finite mind was overwhelmed at the incredible stunning architecture, historical significance, and continuing educational investment of a place that I have only heard about in movies. As the author gave behind-the-scenes stories, I felt as if I had embarked into…
By: Travis Vaughn on August 28, 2023
Many years ago, a dear friend sent me a quote attributed to William Gladstone, Britain’s late 19th century Prime Minister. I was trying to decide whether to stay with my current employer or chart a new path. As I recall, my friend sent me the quote via text: “He is a wise man who wastes…
By: Pam Lau on August 28, 2023
Context Is Everything The first time I heard about Cecil Rhodes and his longer history was during a visit to Oxford, England in September 2017 with a group of CCCU leaders for the Oxford Onclave. Standing before us was the Dean of Corpus Christi, who detailed the problems her college officials were facing as students…
By: Tim Clark on August 28, 2023
Years ago, my wife and I had a couple of hours to kill between meetings in a large city, so we decided to visit a famous nearby shopping mall. This mall was massive, and we entered it through a huge store called The Burlington Coat Factory. Then we started to meander down the main central…
By: Becca Hald on August 28, 2023
Oxford will always be a symbol to me of my husband’s incredible faith in me and support for me. It is the reason I am in the Doctor of Leadership Program at Portland Seminary. In 2013, when I was in graduate school, I had the opportunity to spend a week in Oxford for a class.…
By: Jennifer Vernam on August 28, 2023
To help prepare us for our upcoming advance we received an email from Cliff that provided us with an overview of the intentions behind the “I AM HERE” day.[1] This message suggested that to appreciate our time in this revered town, we might consider the concept of Terroir, or a sense of “somewhereness.” It stated:…
By: Russell Chun on August 28, 2023
Summary No Hawaiians at Oxford, Oxford Marmalade, and the Alfred Jewel. Oxford Tuition. Dictators & Ministers Actress and Tolkien Summary, Modern-Day Inklings No Hawaiians…Sadly, there were no Royal Hawaiians that attended Oxford. However, my google search reminded me of how the visit to England killed King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu. “We review the…
By: Shonell Dillon on August 26, 2023
Leading with Nothing to Lose The movie Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning finally came out this year after much anticipation. I can only speak for myself, but I am a Tom Cruise fan. Some have not-so-good opinions about his personal life but as an actor, I like him. I remember when the film was being filmed…
By: Shonell Dillon on August 25, 2023
I searched the internet to see pictures of what was described in the reading. It was not the stories that ignited the search but more of the physical look at the place. I found some very interesting pictures. When I came upon the pictures of what was read to be a dining hall, I had…
