Merton’s writings on the problem of racism are perhaps the least known of his works. They are, however, among his most important, not only because they address issues that arose at the height of the Civil Rights movement, but also because his writings continue to have astonishing relevance today. In this course, we will examine …
View course details “Thomas Merton and Racism”
This course is about embodying an authentic spirituality that is rooted and lived out in the ordinariness of our daily existence—a life with God that is both human and holy – an everyday spirituality (based on exploring and learning from the varying yet overlapping features of Celtic, Benedictine, Franciscan, and Ignatian spiritualities). It seeks to …
View course details “Spirituality of Everyday Life: Learning from the Celtic, Benedictine, Franciscan and Ignatian Traditions”
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”
In today’s culturally and religiously diverse societies, with their intense political divisions amongst people, the idea of loving our neighbor and enemy may appear sentimental, pollyannish and impractical. The notion of self-love also seems to border on reinforcing an unhealthy individualism that distances us from one another and our sense of interconnectedness. We are challenged …
View course details “Paul Tillich and Howard Thurman: The Ethics of Love in a Hostile World”
The course involves study of Book of Exodus focusing on its narrative sections, and especially on the biography of Moses and the female characters in his story, with sensitivity to Christian and Jewish interpretations of this material. The method of the course is to practice close reading of the materials in English translation. We will …
View course details “Exodus: The Liberation Chronicles”
This course delves into the mid-eighteenth-century Protestant evangelical revival in New England from the perspective of one of its major figures, Jonathan Edwards, pastor of Northampton, Massachusetts, an epicenter of transatlantic evangelical culture at the time. During the decade from 1734 to 1744, Edwards oversaw two “awakenings” in his congregation and participated in many other …
View course details “The Great Awakening-Era Sermons of Jonathan Edwards, 1734-1744”
Amid political polarization in the U.S., Christians who believe and advocate on each side of the Red-Blue divide tend to cite scripture as if God’s voice is simply and very unambiguously on their side. However, inconveniently for these Right- and Left-wing advocates, the Bible is politically and theologically multi-vocal. One strand of tradition craves a …
View course details “The Red- (and Blue-) Letter Bible: Reading the Book Together in a Divided Land”
Some scholars have argued that the letter to the Romans is so unclear that it must be a pastiche of letters or the product of a confused, contradictory writer. We will together make sense of the letter in its historical context as a Jewish Paul articulates (not entirely clearly) how it is that God’s justice …
View course details “The Letter to the Romans: Justice and Race in Antiquity and Today”
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 …
View course details “The Bible through Art and Artifact III : The Bible and Wonder”
The Psalter is the hymn book of the Bible. The 150 psalms have been an integral part of both Jewish and Christian musical traditions, and over the centuries they have inspired countless composers to create important works. The course will explore the richness and power of the Psalter through an examination of the relationship between …
View course details “The Psalter – A Journey through 1,500 Years of Music”