The Bible is the foundational document for all of Christian theology. It offers a worldview through which to understand life and values and humankind and God. It presents God’s creative and redemptive acts on earth. It documents the history and religious perspectives of Israel, and shows how these provided a context into which Jesus, the Savior, emerged, taught, died, and rose again. It gives the early teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ, as it began to evangelize the world. And it is acknowledged as the very Word of God for those who continue to seek the salvation of which it speaks. Because of the size and significant content of the Bible, there are two sections to our investigations. This course surveys the New Testament looking first at the historical transition of “Israel” into “Judaism,” the world at the time of Jesus, his message and meaning, and then surveying the other documents of the New Testament. The partner course on the Old Testament includes reflections on the nature of salvation history, the origins of the Bible, and the character of biblical literature.
Work load: 5 CEUs (50 hours), meeting 5 (2 hour periods) or 10 (1 hour periods) times with an approved facilitator.
Time frame: 6 months
