Classes
Week One
D01 Faith and Reason
This course will study the relation between faith in God and the capacities of human reason. The main topics will be the relation between faith in God and morality, religious experience, the problem of evil, the nature of faith, the traditional proofs for the e
D02 Our Anguish and God’s Power – Talking to People Who Are Angry at God
People who have loved ones who are going through a time of extreme suffering, in their attempt to comfort, are often heard to say to the sufferer: “If God were really loving, God wouldn’t let this happen.” Such a well-intentioned “pastoral” remark, along with:
D03 Jonathan Edwards on the Nature of Sin
As an inheritor of the Puritan and Reformed traditions, Jonathan Edwards, the famous eighteenth-century theologian, considered the nature of sin nearly as much as the nature of its solution, conversion.
D04 The Bible through Art and Artifact II
Designed at the request of students who have taken the first Bible through Art and Artifact course, this class offers more opportunities to engage the Bible and enjoy Yale’s stunning collections.
D05 Readings in Latinx Biblical Hermeneutics: Selective Methods and Themes
This course aims to introduce the participant to the approaches to biblical interpretation that have emerged from growing Latinx biblical scholarship and practice in the last several decades. Attention will be given to reading theories and strategies, with samp
D06 The Bible in the Reformation
In 1521 Martin Luther stood at the Diet of Worms and declared not only “Here I Stand” but that he would publicly retract anything he said that could be proved wrong by the words of the Bible.
D07 Chinese Christianity
This course opens up the fascinating but surprisingly obscure story of Chinese Christianity, from the earliest Syriac-Chinese documents of the eighth century through to the sermons and micro-blogs of house-church pastors in the twenty-first century.
D08 The Ethics and Spirituality of Palliative Care
In this course, participants will engage in discussion, reflection, and debate about the meaning of death, so as to more deeply appreciate the meaning of life, death, faith, and community.
Week Two
D09 Biblical Values
Many people in the modern world claim to espouse biblical values. This course will examine what the Bible has to say about several issues that are controversial in the modern world, including right to life, gender, social justice and the environment.
D10 Inspiration for Contemporary Preaching from Early Christian Sermons
Preaching well–week in and week out–is one of the most demanding duties of clergy and few things are more important in shaping how one feels about the effectiveness of one’s ministry.
D11 Past, Tense: Classic Hebrew Bible Prophecy
In an era that lasted barely more than two centuries, from about 740 to 540 B.C.E., the company of ancient religious geniuses we know as the classic Hebrew prophets composed and performed a body of work that has inspired and confounded the world for more than tw
D12 Trauma and Spirituality in Parish Ministry and Pastoral Care
A traumatic event may profoundly affect a person’s sense of self, religious faith, and understanding of justice and mercy. This seminar will explore the impact of trauma on the meaning of spirituality for those who have gone through a traumatic event, and the i
D13 Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
This course will explore the best known and perhaps most reflective of Paul’s epistles. The Epistle to the Romans expands on Paul’s core teaching about the relationship to God made possible for all people who share in the faith of Jesus Christ.
D14 Reading Poetry Theologically
What is the relationship between theology and the arts, and what does it look like to bring these into conversation with each other? Can reading poetry, for example, be one way of thinking theologically or even of ‘doing theology’?
D15 Merton, Ministry, Mindfulness
This experiential course will explore the life and writings of Thomas Merton, one of the spiritual masters of the twentieth century whose contemplative insight illumines a path of equanimity and wise action.
D16 Radical Pedagogy
In this course we will study radical pedagogy as a lens through which to explore the intersections of religious education and community transformation.