You may be thinking, how can I learn without a lecture? You could as well ask, how much do I in fact learn from a lecture? We learn by taking in new information and integrating it with what we already know. If all we do is absorb information, and don't take the mental effort to integrate it, we will learn very little. The Torrey program is designed to guide you in knowledge integration. You take in new information as you read the required texts, the notes posted by the tutors and other students, and attend periodic context lectures.
Some Christians believe that it's wrong to raise questions about what they believe and to discuss those beliefs as if they might be faulty. Such Christians might want Torrey simply to provide "the answers." Others assert that true intellectual investigation cannot take place at a Christian school where certain beliefs are "off-limits" in terms of discussion. We hope you will come to recognize that there is a legitimate tension here. We understand that we can learn and grow through scholarly dialogue that challenges us to defend our cherished. But at the same time, we (in this respect, like both Scripture and Plato) believe that the truth is out there, and that in fact we have come to a knowledge of the truth. As a result, we encourage open questioning, even of basic Christian beliefs, confident that if we use the right methods the truth will result and the truth will not threaten us.
Class discussion then helps you integrate that knowledge by making you interact with the information and with other students. When you present an assertion or thesis about what's going on in the current reading, your tutor and fellow students will challenge you to support it with evidence and logical reasoning. If your evidence is weak or your reasoning faulty, they will tell you. As you engage in analyzing other students' assertions, you also are integrating new knowledge into your existing store of knowledge.
If you try to sit in the back of the class and daydream, or just be a passive listener, your tutor and fellow students will challenge you to get involved. We do realize that some students have the "gift of gab" while others are more introverted, so we don't expect the same level of verbiage from every student. We look for growth that is appropriate to each individual. We challenge shy students to make an effort to engage in the dialogue, but we also challenge talkative students to think before they speak.
