The spring holidays of Passover and Easter have been intertwined since the earliest periods of Christianity. Each represents the defining event of Judaism and Christianity, respectively: the Exodus from Egypt and the resurrection of Jesus. This course discusses the biblical origins of the two holidays; how Easter grew out of Passover; and how the holidays …
View course details “Themed Study: Easter and Passover”

The incarnation is a term often associated with the birth of Jesus. It should properly refer to his while life and ministry, for the Word which became enfleshed at Bethlehem stayed enfleshed until the Ascension. As distinct from John the Baptist, Jesus’ expression of Spirituality is not an ascetic strain best suited to hermits, but …
View course details “The Engaged Spirituality of Jesus with John Bell”

This course provides an investigation into Paul’s theology across his undisputed letters in the New Testament. We will read and discuss portions of Paul’s writings in conversation with a variety of interpretative perspectives in order to gain insight into the historical, literary, social, and theological textures of Paul’s communications. Our focus will be on discerning, …
View course details “Pauline Scriptures; In the thick of an unfinished story: an exploration of Paul’s theology.”

We invite you to join us in beautiful Montreal from May 16-18!!  A conference focused on your encouragement and renewal. Through scriptural teaching, vibrant worship, reflection in the arts, be encouraged and renewed for ministry. Rebekah Eklund Rebekah Eklund is associate professor of theology at Loyola University Maryland, where she teaches Scripture, theology, and ethics. …
View course details “Encouragement Conference — Worship, Scripture, the Arts”

In this class, we’ll read Ecclesiastes as a reflection on the joys, difficulties, and frustrations of daily life. After considering, on the first day, how the book reflects on communal and individual experiences in ancient Israel, we will then turn to three case studies: the ethics of work, enjoyment in times of empires, and death …
View course details “Hebrew Bible: Ecclesiastes on Living and Dying”

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The concept of heaven has played an important role in Christian thought since the earliest New Testament writings, and the Christian vision of Heaven has influenced the world. How do we intersect with this concept, starting with what we were taught and continuing through the sense-making we’ve done for ourselves around the idea of heaven? …
View course details “Heaven in the Theological Imagination”

This course will explore the book of Deuteronomy as well as literature focused on the formation of ethnicity and processes of racialization. Students will evaluate our own connection to ethnic and racialized worldviews while we will seek to understand what sort of community Deuteronomy is attempting to form in ancient Israel. Then, we will consider …
View course details “Deuteronomy and the Formation of Racial/Ethnic Worldviews”

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to a new gateway to the Book of Genesis through a Jewish contemplative practice called kriat hakodesh (reading the sacred) which has its roots in the Christian practice of lectio divina. Students will learn at least five important stories from the Book of Genesis and the …
View course details “Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path”

The course involves study of Book of Exodus focusing on its narrative sections, and especially on the biography of Moses and the female characters in his story, with sensitivity to Christian and Jewish interpretations of this material. The method of the course is to practice close reading of the materials in English translation. We will …
View course details “Exodus: The Liberation Chronicles”