Traveling the Roman Road
By Heidi Heater, a senior from Jackson, Ky.
WILMORE, KY—Thirty Asbury College students, led by Drs. Kevin and Neil Anderson, explored the remains of ancient Greco-Roman cities associated with the ministries of the early church May 14-26. Students saw art and architecture from Byzantine period churches, buildings and artifacts from Turkey’s history and the natural beauty of Turkey’s varied landscapes.
“While in one sense a study tour cannot replace a full-semester course, the obverse is even truer,” said Dr. Kevin Anderson, assistant professor of Bible and theology. “Learning through travel has two distinct advantages. First, actually visiting the places one could only dream of while reading the Bible or history book tends to engrave a picture of them and the knowledge of their significance into our memories.
Second, the experience of ancient places serves to motivate us to learn more about them like no teacher or book can do.”
During the tour, students visited places such as the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic, the Mevlana Museum, home to the “whirling dervishes,” and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, students explored Lystra, where St. Paul was nearly stoned and Pisidian Antioch, where he delivered his first great missionary sermon.
“It was incredible to actually walk where Paul walked,” said Courtney Ripato, a junior from Louisville, Ky. “Sometimes I have a hard time thinking Paul lived in the same world we do, so to actually see it was amazing.”
Throughout the tour, students learned the historical, biblical and theological significance of the sites through lectures delivered by Kevin Anderson, Neil Anderson and Atakan Acar, their Turkish tour guide.
“All this, we hope, will help to equip those who took this tour to become Christ-followers who are more fully aware of their rich Christian heritage, more fully engaged with a wider set of cultures and history around them and more fully committed to advancing the cause of Christ around the world,” Anderson said.
Students who traveled to Turkey include Samuel Adhikary, Jeremy Arnold, Jeffrey Boyko, Joel Chandler, Tracy Conover, Taylor Darden, Ben Dawson, James Guthrie, Mark Hepner, Charles Hunter, Emily Kettner, Carey Klein, Chandler Klein, Scott Landerholm, Faith McKinnon, Jennifer Opperman, Godfrey Padgett, Brian Perks, Samantha Pleasant, Andy Reynolds, Courtney Ripato, Stephanie Selle, Luke Smith, Whitney Smith, Samantha Stearns, Emily K. Stein, Jordan Stratton, Laura Sweeten, Tannah Faye Tilly and Julianna West.
Released: July 8, 2008
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Tagged: features, Bible-theology, cross-cultural and study-abroad
