What: Seven Electives in Biblical Studies
When: August 2023 – June 2024 (see specific dates below). Class sessions will take place on Tuesdays from 7-10 PM Eastern.
Where: Online
How Much: $425
For Credit: We are only accepting 10 students into these electives. Once you enroll in the first course (401), it is expected that you will enroll in the other six as well. If you drop/skip a course, you will not be allowed to continue with the rest of the courses. Each course is $425. To reserve your spot, please pay the non-refundable $425 by using the Register button below. At the end of courses 1-6, students will be given a private link to register for the next course.
Observers: Observer Registration is per location (including households and churches). The registration for observers is $50 per course. If a church is registering, the church must promise not to share the link with parishioners. For parishioners who will stay home and watch, they must also pay the $50 because that is a separate location. The pre-requisite requirement does not apply to Observers.
Synopsis
Each of the seven electives will meet virtually every Tuesday evening over a five-week period (see specific meeting times in the course descriptions below). The nine-month schedule is designed to equip students with a foundational knowledge of the Bible and biblical interpretation. Through this foundation, our seven electives prepare students for further study at a seminary or graduate school, working in lay ministries of the Church, or simply working in the world as an Orthodox Christian. Once completed, the electives can be combined with other courses for those interested in a bachelor’s degree.
The first course begins with broad questions concerning the Bible: What is Scripture, and how does it function in the Church? What is the Old Testament? What is the New Testament? It then moves to a survey of the Scriptures, from the book of Genesis through the Apocalypse of John. Along the way, we will also deal with various topical questions related to history, theology, and the use of the Scriptures in the Church.
What To Expect?
Throughout the courses, we will emphasize the three C’s of biblical interpretation: content, context, and commission.
Content: A primary goal of this program is for students to simply understand the basic content of the Bible. This means understanding the basic story and/or message of individual books of the Bible, the ways certain books are grouped together within the biblical canon, and the overarching scriptural narrative from God’s creation of the world through the inauguration of the New Creation.
Context: No text exists without context. In fact, there are various contexts in which we can interpret any given text. We will explore numerous contexts (e.g. historical, literary, theological) which are important in understanding the Scriptures.
Commission: Finally, we will ask how our reading of the Scriptures with the Church informs our work in the world, challenges our thinking, and inspires us as we seek to live our life in Christ.
