January 18, 2023 - April 19, 2023
Jan 18 - Apr 19, 2023, 6:30PM - 9:30PM (Pacific)
Offered by Regent College
Tuition rates for Fall 2022 and Winter 2023 will be:
$505 per credit hour
$375 per audit hour
Vancouver
, BC
Canada
Why do Christians professing a high view of biblical authority appeal to the same biblical texts and arrive at conclusions widely at variance with one another on theological and ethical issues? What accounts for such disagreements? This course offers a theological framework through which we will look at various interpretations of the Bible, evaluating claims and the evidence offered for diverging opinions. We will take seriously the effort of interpretations that see scripture as attesting to the good news about reality: the triune God and the availability of life in his kingdom rule through Christ, risen and reigning Saviour, Teacher and Lord. Relatedly, we will scrutinize the contemporary value placed on “freedom” and “love,” and clarify their meanings in the biblical presentation and the Christian tradition’s understanding of “the good life.”
Next, we will engage in an introductory survey of widely held, contrasting arguments about biblical teaching concerning slavery, sexuality, and male-female relations vis-a-vis marriage and ministry. By engaging with disparate arguments, past and present, this course aims to equip students by (1) offering a caveat, raising self-critical awareness of their own biases, interests, and blind-spots as they approach the study of Scripture; (2) pointing to frameworks and exemplars that draw upon insights in the Christian tradition, reason, and experience in a way that is commensurate with “the logic of biblical discourse”; (3) facilitating growth in students’ capacity to develop a more nuanced understanding of the diversity and unity of concretely situated biblical teaching; and (4) fostering a posture of humility, listening, and learning from other traditions, in part by submitting their interpretations to testing by other Christian communities unlike their own. The ultimate goal is to aid students’ growth in genuinely Christ-like integrity and discernment as hearers, doers, and ministers of the Word, coram Deo (“before God”).
On Campus and Online: This course is being offered on campus and online in Winter 2023. Students may apply to take this course online when registering for the course through REGIS. In order to support students who are unable to attend the regular online class sessions, recordings will be made available on the course Moodle page for 48 hours following each class. In some cases, attendance at other sessions may be required.
Credit Hours: 2 – 3
Audit Hours: 2