This course combines engaging study of the Bible with some of Yale’s greatest treasures, delivered to you virtually! Each class is divided into two sections. The first part of class we will engage biblical texts around the theme of wonder. The second part enriches our learning with a related online tour of one of Yale’s stunning collections, guided by world-class experts. Visits include “trips” to the Peabody museum, Yale British Art Museum, and the Yale Babylonian Collection, showing art and artifacts not seen in previous BAA courses. We will grow in knowledge and love of the Bible, while discovering the relevance and experiencing the vitality of Scripture.
The Rev. Dr. Julie Faith Parker is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at General Theological Seminary in New York City. She was awarded the Ph.D. in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible with distinction from Yale University. She also holds degrees from Hamilton College (B.A.; Phi Beta Kappa), Union Theological Seminary in New York City (M.Div.), and Yale Divinity School (S.T.M.). She is ordained in the United Methodist Church (Elder; New York Annual Conference) and has served as a congregational pastor and university chaplain.
Prior to her position at General, Dr. Parker taught at Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Columbus, OH) where she also founded and directed the Trinity Prison Project. She has taught at Colby College (Waterville, Maine), Andover Newton Theological School (Newton Center, Mass.), Fordham University (Bronx, NY), and New York Theological Seminary (New York City; teaching inmates pursuing a Master’s degree within Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison). Her research interests focus on feminist biblical interpretation, childist biblical interpretation, and ancient Near Eastern languages and cultures. Her scholarly articles have appeared in the Journal of Biblical Literature, Biblical Interpretation, and Ugarit-Forschungen, among other journals. She is the author or editor of seven books, including Valuable and Vulnerable: Children in the Hebrew Bible, especially the Elisha Cycle (Brown University, 2013), My So-Called Biblical Life: Imagined Stories from the World’s Best-Selling Book (Wipf and Stock, 2017), and The T&T Clark Handbook of Children in the Bible and the Biblical World (Bloomsbury/T&T Clark, 2019).