Thank you, @WesleyLHuff for your memories of Dr. Parker:
https://x.com/WesleyLHuff/status/2114913198206046538
Dr. Parker was my professor of ethics during my undergraduate studies at Criswell College and also taught a 3-week intensive that began my masters degree there (three days after I graduated).
That intensive study was focused on "The Reconstruction of the Christian Revelation Claim" by Stuart Hackett, which all of us in the class read with a dictionary by our side.
On the first day of class, he said, "Your mid-term is one week from tomorrow. Bring a Blue Book for the test. There will be three essay questions, which I will tell you in advance. You have two hours to write your answers."
"I grade as they do in Europe, where I studied. Grading will be on a bell curve. With eight of you in the class, probably only one — perhaps two — of you will make an 'A'. You just need to do better than your classmates."
A student asked, "That sounds very subjective. What determines whether a person makes an 'A', 'B', or 'C'?"
Dr. Parker replied, "If you are able to answer the questions appropriately, you are guaranteed to make a 'C'. If you answer the questions very well, you will make a 'B'."
The student said, "What do we have to do to make an 'A'?
Dr. Parker grinned and said, "If you tell me something I don't know, you will make an 'A'."
The next day after the midterm, Dr. Parker entered the class with a sullen look on his face. He said, "I'm very disappointed."
All of us immediately believed that we had all failed.
Then he continued, "No matter how I tried to justify grading on a strict bell curve, my integrity will not allow it. Three of you deserve 'A's, and that's what I gave you."
As proud as I was to be one of the three, I was much more grateful to have had Dr. Jim Parker as my professor. A godly, wonderful, humble servant of Christ, who also happened to be one of the most brilliant men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Below are my notes from Dr. Parker’s master’s class on Revelation.
