Can reading poetry be one way of thinking theologically, or even of ‘doing theology’? In this course we will study poetry as a source of theological reflection and insight through close readings of individual poems and poetic sequences by some of the best poets of the English language in modern times. As we proceed, we …
View course details “Reading Poetry Theologically–Not for credit”
In the midst of what Aetna Insurance calls a “loneliness epidemic,” which has only been exacerbated by a global pandemic, with political polarization of historic magnitude wearing away connections, we could all use a primer on how to build robust community. Blessedly, that’s what the apostle Paul did for a living. His First Letter to …
View course details “The Lost Art of Community-Building: A Study of Paul’s 1 Thessalonians–Not for credit”
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 . It will also reflect on the difficulty of identifying a single, or even …
View course details “Biblical Values–Not for credit”
This course begins by briefly outlining the history and development of Islam. After surveying the economic, racial and cultural landscape of the global Muslim community, it examines the internal diversity of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims: Who are they? What do they really think and do? What are the differences between culture and religion? What …
View course details “Unity in Diversity: Making Sense of Muslim Culture and Practice–Not for Credit”
This course follows the story of the Bible from its formation as a book in Palestine and Egypt in the fourth and fifth centuries to the rapid expansion of Christianity in the Global South today. When Donald Trump held up the King James Bible in Washington after demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas, what did …
View course details “The Global Bible–Not for credit”
Our sense of “being” is grounded in a healthy self-esteem and satisfaction with our lives. These can be burdened by our feeling wounded with hidden grief and mourning. Today’s uncertainty and anxiety make it even more difficult for us to engage in self-care, and to theologically frame our understanding of self-care as something positive and …
View course details “Living a Life of Forgiving: Honoring the Life, Ministry and Legacy of Archbishop Desmond Tutu–Not for credit”
This course focuses on the letters of Paul, the oldest documents within the Christian Testament. Written to diverse audiences in the context of the Roman Empire and diaspora Judaism, they are still used today to debate ethical and political action. We’ll look at 1) the Pauline epistles in their first-century context, and their earliest interpretations; …
View course details “The Letters of Paul: Archaeologies and Theologies–Not for credit”
Johann Sebastian Bach not only composed his two famous passions but he also created large scale oratorios for Christmas, Easter, and ascension day over a span of little more than ten years. This particularly prolific period came at a later point in the composer’s career and coincides with Bach’s increasing interest in and consumption of …
View course details “Bach’s Passions and Oratorios: The Life of Christ from a Composer’s Perspective–Not for credit”
This course will explore the views and practices of British-American theologian, revivalist, and missionary Jonathan Edwards on race and slavery in the contexts of the “vast Americas” in general and of colonial New England in particular, showing the growth of African slavery and the slave trade, biblical and theological justifications for them, and evolving racial …
View course details “Jonathan Edwards, Race, and Slavery–Not for credit”
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 existence of God, miracles and science, immortality, and religious pluralism. In …
View course details “Faith and Reason–Non-credit”