In this course, we will begin by exploring the gradual alienation of Jews and Christians from each other, and how that antagonism has slowly been reversed over the last century. We will explore specific sections of the Gospels where sensitivity to Jesus’ Jewish identity (and Semitic words) enables us to appreciate him in his humanity, …
View course details “THE JEWISHNESS OF JESUS: AND WHY IT MATTERS TO CHRISTIANS”
2023 Festival of Faiths: Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love
The 2023 Festival of Faiths will celebrate the power of love to cultivate meaningful connections, strengthen communities and transform lives. Join us for Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love, where we will explore contemporary concerns through the lens of faith and tap into our unique capacity for love and compassion. A diverse lineup of spiritual teachers, thought leaders …
View course details “2023 Festival of Faiths: Sacred Hearts, Sacred Minds: Embodying Love”
Pilgrimage to St Paul’s Sites in Rome
This pilgrimage is a prayerful journey on the footsteps of St Paul in the City of Rome where he came to share the gospel and his life for his brothers and sisters in Christ. During three days we will follow and reexperience Paul’s mission in Rome, by visiting sites related to his Jewish faith, the …
View course details “Pilgrimage to St Paul’s Sites in Rome”
AST Spring-Summer Courses
Consult the link for this summer’s courses on-site.
Themed Study: Easter and Passover
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”
Cult Classics: An Introduction to New Religious Movements
An online short course introducing cults, or New Religious Movements. This 4-week course is a sociological introduction to cults – or better labeled as new religious movements (NRMs). The class will learn and discuss the definition of religion, church, sect, and NRM. Following this discussion, we will examine the beginning of three mainstream religions: Islam, …
View course details “Cult Classics: An Introduction to New Religious Movements”
Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path
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”
Envisioning Peace Together – An Interfaith Retreat
This interfaith weekend retreat will center around the vision of peace offered in Isaiah’s oracle and imaged in the painting, “The Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks. It will offer the opportunity to explore spiritual practices that support an awareness of the Divine and transformation of consciousness that can serve peace. Experiential practices, reflection, and sharing …
View course details “Envisioning Peace Together – An Interfaith Retreat”
In the Beginning: Classic Christian and Jewish Pathways to Understanding the Book of Genesis
“These stories [in the early chapters of Genesis] have provided a foundation for three of the world’s major religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Furthermore, arguably, these pages also provide the foundations on which Western civilization as we know it today has been built. Indeed, few questions are more fundamental to human existence than Who am I? …
View course details “In the Beginning: Classic Christian and Jewish Pathways to Understanding the Book of Genesis”
VST Current Course Listings
Many of the courses in this list are both online and in-person. Unfortunately, there is not a simple way to list all of the online courses.