A surprising number of resources exist today that help biblical and theological students prepare for and find training-relevant employment, including Ben Witherington’s Is There a Doctor in the House? (Zondervan, 2011), Nijay Gupta’s Prepare, Succeed, Advance (2nd ed., Cascade, 2019), and Brandon Benziger and Adam Day’s What Can You Do with Your Bible Training? (Resource, 2023). Prior to 2021, though, hardly anything in print existed that could help advanced students and graduates make the difficult transition into a biblical or theological teaching career—whether in an adjunct or tenure-track capacity or on a part- or full-time basis. Enter Michael Kibbe’s latest book, From Research to Teaching: A Guide to Beginning Your Classroom Career.

As Kibbe explains in the introduction, this thin paperback is divided into two main parts, the first focusing on what teachers must “do” and the second on what teachers must “know.” Part 1 has three chapters, one on preparation “before” the classroom, another on execution “in” the classroom, and a third on evaluation “after” the classroom. Part 2, by contrast, has four much shorter chapters, one apiece on mission and method, community, limitations, and power. And after a brief conclusion, three appendixes appear: “Appendix A: Using Your Dissertation in the Classroom,” “B: A Plea to Graduate Schools,” and “C: Great Teaching Resources.”

In chapter 1, then, Kibbe insists that recent hires need to accomplish four main tasks in their preparation for the classroom. First, they must publish their dissertation as soon as possible (if they haven’t already), primarily because unpublished dissertations are largely unread dissertations, and the longer one waits to publish, the likelier their work will become out of date. Second, they must devote themselves to andragogical theory and practice, reading intermittently, favoring depth over breadth, and evaluating resources via practice. Third, they should apprentice themselves to several mentors—excellent teachers who know how to train others well, encourage professional independence, and represent various fields, groups, and career stages, among other qualities. And fourth, new faculty need to prepare each class and class session, striving, under grace, to know their material well enough to expand each session into an entire course.

Transitioning from preparation to execution, chapter 2 likens teaching to a cinematic performance and argues that four corresponding ideals must be worked out in the classroom. The first is “telling a story”—that is, sparking interest from day one, reminding students of pertinent issues when needed, and maintaining progression and momentum throughout each session, each course, and even the entire curriculum. Second is “landing the plane”—ending each session with the session’s main point (or set of points) and its significance. Third is “having a signature”—a unique feature of one’s pedagogy that stands out to students and is worth remembering. And fourth is “taking a risk”—trying new things in the classroom, being appropriately transparent with students, allowing them to determine certain features of the course, and challenging them in significant ways, while always keeping the main point(s) of a session in view.

Chapter 3 then turns to evaluation and rest after teaching. There, Kibbe advises professors, since they can be so forgetful and pressed for time, to write their reflections down after each session, to do so as soon as possible, to do so consistently, and to follow up on what is written. He also urges faculty to take a sabbath on a regular basis, which he defines not as a mere break but as “the active movement of mind and body toward God alongside his people” (p. 77). Particularly helpful here are Kibbe’s academically minded suggestions for sabbaths: catching up on sleep, worshiping God in community, turning devices off, exercising or partaking in manual labor, avoiding (guild-relevant) reading, spending time with nonacademics, and so forth.

Chapter 4 begins part 2 of the book. There, Kibbe discusses pedagogical mission statements and methods, the latter of which comprises four interrelated facets: (1) mechanism (i.e., learning activities); (2) mannerism (i.e., one’s appearance and demeanor); (3) environment (i.e., the arrangement of various classroom objects); and (4) centerpiece (i.e., one’s focus). Of these, Kibbe devotes most space to the first and the last: Our mechanisms, he says, should always be governed by our mission; we should never restrict ourselves to just one strategy; and we should seek to improve in our use of all relevant learning activities. He also sides with Parker Palmer in concluding that the classroom should be subject centered rather than teacher or student centered (though he offers no rationale for that conclusion).

In chapter 5, titled “Community,” Kibbe encourages readers to know both their students and, somewhat surprisingly, their own families. Regarding students, such knowledge involves memorizing their names, interacting with them outside the classroom, recording their answers to questions after conversations, proactively encouraging those at risk, and setting reasonable expectations. Concerning families, though, such knowledge entails making academic decisions with one’s spouse, partnering with him or her in both school life and home life, and being intimately aware of how one’s career is impacting the household. Conspicuously, Kibbe never discusses coworkers—directing readers instead to “lots of other resources” on that issue (p. 99).

Chapter 6 is titled “Limitations”; there, Kibbe focuses our attention on the simple principle that “you can’t do everything, and everything you choose to do is a choice not to do something else” (p. 105). Accordingly, this chapter urges new faculty to pace themselves throughout their careers, to pursue work-life balance, and to operate out of their strengths. It also warns them against overlooking their limitations and becoming arrogant, encouraging them instead to keep close company with others who aren’t overly impressed by them, who won’t let them dominate the room, and to cultivate the habit of careful listening.

Closely related is the issue of power, which is the subject of chapter 7. There, Kibbe underscores James 3:1 and argues that this text both heightens the gravity of the professorate and redefines what it means to fail pedagogically. He also applies Proverbs 31:4–5 to the academic use of social media today, paying particular attention to slander, clickbait, and self-promotion. In one of the most valuable parts of the book, Kibbe distinguishes between healthy marketing and toxic narcissism: The former, he says, includes updates about forthcoming or recent publications, celebrations of completed projects, links to reviews, and substantive, respectful dialogue. The latter, by contrast, includes incessant updates about publications, annual recaps of achievements, victimization and heroization, and nonstop promotion of one’s own work (pp. 118–20).

After a brief conclusion, finally, appendix A argues that faculty can actually use their dissertation research in the classroom in several ways (e.g., giving students a deep, one-session dive into their topic when relevant). Appendix B pleads with graduate schools not only to add an education course to their curriculum but also to reimagine their teaching assistantships (e.g., by actually allowing assistants to teach a course!). And appendix C provides a list of recommended resources—books oriented toward students, coworkers, and faculty members themselves.

Upon review, we have already noted that Kibbe omits a discussion of fellow faculty and staff and a rationale for a subject-centered pedagogical focus. One also wonders, though, why his discussion of mission is written primarily in autobiographical fashion; or why he doesn’t provide more guidance on time management, online adjunct work, and the like; or whether his discussion of mentorship is overdone. (If “teaching is an endless progression of suicides,” with “barely enough time in between to catch your breath” [p. 3], can new profs seriously expect to find several specially selected mentors and meet with them on a regular basis?) What’s more, Kibbe’s rationale for placing part 2 (on “knowing”) after part 1 (on “doing”)—namely, that “in teaching, we never know what we’re going to do until after we do it” (p. 81)—is problematic. Surely, we know a great deal before we enter the classroom, even if we don’t know everything beforehand (cf., e.g., pp. 31–33)! Finally, one might question whether Kibbe’s “light” and “fun” style, as Gary Burge characterizes it in his foreword (p. x)—peppered with references to Shrek, Lightning McQueen, and the Avengers franchise—is apropos for a book of this kind.

On a much more positive note, though, we have also pointed out how useful Kibbe’s sabbath- and media-related suggestions are, and we can affirm, with Burge, that Kibbe’s work contains much vocational wisdom (p. x). One thinks, for instance, of Kibbe’s well-reasoned counsel to publish one’s dissertation as soon as possible, to strive for expertise with grace and patience, and to maintain momentum and progression throughout each course and session. Noteworthy also are Kibbe’s culturally informed pushback against antilecturers, his analysis of the intellectual-spiritual development gap in students, and his dissertation-related guidance for the classroom. And even if this reviewer has reservations about Kibbe’s writing style, he nevertheless concedes that it is still quite imaginative and enjoyable to read.

In the end, the beginning of Kibbe’s book encourages readers to apprentice themselves to both senior mentors, who can provide long-term perspective, and slightly older mentors, who can provide immediate, actionable advice. Kibbe’s book is like the latter. And if that’s the case, then Kibbe himself can serve, through his book, not only as an important first mentor for readers, but also as a mentor they can consult time and time again, especially when academic pressures keep them from the mentors he so strongly urges them to engage.

Brandon C. Benziger, MDiv, ThM
Associated Faculty
Denver Seminary
December 2023