About C. Marie Byars, Blogger

      

     This blogger C. Marie Byars prefers to have "ideas" more than the "person" known. Yet, in order to establish "authority" regarding Blogspot blogs, this needs to happen.  Now I shall switch to the less stuffy first person.

     In support of religious authority, primarily on Christian Nature Poetry but also on Witticisms & Aphorisms, I have a BA in Biblical Languages (Greek and Hebrew) from a small Lutheran college which is now closed.  I have an MA with a concentration in Systematic Theology with a minor in Exegetical Theology (use of the Biblical Languages) and a third area in Practical Theology (emphasizing the intersection of Scripture and psychology) from Concordia Seminary, St Louis, MO.  My master's thesis was on the work of English, Jesuit poet, Gerard Manly Hopkins, and what his poetry and prose contribute to the doctrines of creation and preservation.

      Outside the academic realm, I was a "closet agnostic" in my later teen years, before a reconversion experience and attending Lutheran college. During this time, I explored other faiths as well as non-theistic ideas on their own bases.

     I have used my religious education in various Lutheran churches.  I have been a church organist in some capacity most of my life since age 13.  I use my theological education for hymn interpretation and special music selection.  Coupling the education with my personal journey, i have taught confirmation classes for over a decade.

     Later, I took some graduate level classes in social policy and statistics at New Mexico Highlands University.    I believe this gives me some standing to speak on social trends as I do on Witticisms & Aphorisms. 

     Additionally, my bachelor's degree was, overall, a general Liberal Arts degree.  As part of this degree, I studied various disciplines, such as philosophy, philosophy of religion, literature, chemistry, algebra, theater, German, history of art, music, and anthropology.  Coupled with the systematizing skills honed from concentrating on systematic theology, this helps me to bring seemingly disparate ideas and even disciplines together.

     Beyond the academic setting, I served in the enlisted ranks of the military, where I did blue collar work.  Initially, I served as a wheeled vehicle mechanic in the US Army, where I was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for working on 20-ton trucks.  Then I served for a while as a Boatswain's Mate in the US Navy Reserve. After this, I spent some time in the Army Reserves, serving again as a mechanic.

    In addition to military blue-collar work, this has been a feature in my civilian life.  The campus jobs I held during my undergraduate and graduate degree work were in school maintenance departments.  I also worked in these fields in state parks and a Lutheran camp.

    I maintain a great deal of curiosity about life and continue with independent research in various areas.  I attempt to dive deep and sort out apparent contradictions.  This trait, along with the formal learning outlined above helps me synthesize, distill and correlate information for my readers, both in the areas where I hold degrees and in other areas I have studied.  Infused in even the most intense research is my own quirky, off-beat sense of humor.

     I hope, in providing this information, Google is as loyal to me via my Blogspot Blogs as I have remained to them.  I have remained grateful for this free platform because I do not make money from my blogs.  I seek an audience for my ideas and a chance to lighten the seriousness through humor.

     [This was authored in May 2026 but is back-dated to stay at the bottom of the blog.]