This course combines the riches of the biblical text with some of Yale’s greatest treasures. Each day will explore the concept of wonder through academic study and lively conversation about a biblical text. We will then enrich our learning about this theme each day with guided e-visits to one of Yale’s collections, led by world-class …
View course details “The Bible Through Art and Artifact III”

The course will involve close readings of a sample of the liturgical masterpiece from ancient Israel that we know as the Psalms. The Psalter itself is divided into five books, mirroring the structure of Torah itself, and our study will be sequenced into five parts, sampling selections from each successive book over five days. Our …
View course details “The Book of Psalms: The Hopes and Fears of All the Years”

The Book of Revelation has long intrigued, inspired, and often baffled Christian readers. This course will explore key factors involved in interpreting the work, its roots in Jewish apocalyptic traditions, the situation of the early Church at the end of the first century, and the book’s complex literary structure and graphic imagery. We’ll be particularly …
View course details “The Book of Revelation and the ‘End of Time’”

“The Word made flesh,” according to William Temple, is the most important phrase in all of Christianity because it affirms flesh as the vehicle and instrument for spirit. Although some scholars have described Jesus in John’s Gospel as a detached “god who seems to glide over the face of the earth,” a closer look reveals …
View course details “The Sensual Gospel of John: Experiencing the Fourth Gospel through the Five Senses”

From biblical times to the present, God has been in the middle of politics. Charismatic leadership, the election of leaders and nations, political parties and their social policies, scandal and sin, kingship and triumph—all of these have been peppered with theological rhetoric. Building on biblical and contemporary studies, this course asks whether there is more …
View course details “The Bible & Politics: A Biblical Perspective”

This course is a survey course of prophets in Ancient Israel and the texts of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible. Studying the language of the prophetic corpus, we will explore the historical, social, and political contexts of the writings and their meanings for the intended audience and readers today. By the end of the …
View course details “The Prophets”

In this course, we will explore the powerful and beautiful biography of Jesus that we know as the Gospel of Matthew. From the earliest days of Christianity, the Gospel of Matthew has stood at the head of the New Testament canon, profoundly shaping the church’s understanding of who God is and what it means for …
View course details “The Gospel of Matthew”

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians has stood alongside Romans at the heart of Christian theological discussions from the time of Augustine, through the Reformation, and to the present day. It is perhaps the earliest written formulation of Paul’s teachings about justification attained by trusting Jesus, the opposition between faith and “works of the law,” the …
View course details “The Letter to the Galatians”

Genesis presents God’s purpose for humans to rule over his creation in a way that reflects his character—then describes how humans chose to rule by their own wisdom, filling the world with violence. But Genesis also reveals that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted, showing how God chose to work through the dysfunctional family of Abraham …
View course details “Genesis: The Foundations of the Biblical Story”

As contentious conversations about sex and gender show no signs of abating, effective witness to our neighbours requires thoughtful answers and wise actions. This course aims to help Christians think about and respond to some of the gendered aspects of theology, anthropology, and ecclesiology that arise in the New Testament. In particular, we’ll look at …
View course details “Gender in the New Testament”