Designed for United Methodist Certified Lay Ministers (CLM). This course is designed to help CLM students learn how to engage in a critical reading of the biblical text. The course by its nature will focus on readings from the New Testament. It is impossible to cover in detail every aspect of the New Testament. Hopefully, this course will be one step on a lifetime of learning.
This course also assumes a basic working knowledge of the New Testament (what are the four gospels, what are the epistles, who Jesus is and why he is important, who Paul is and why he is important, etc.). This course will also teach the students to ask the deeper questions not only of their own biblical understanding, but to also to lend a richer and more informed voice to their biblical teaching and preaching.
Required Texts
Wright, N.T. and Michael F. Bird. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2019
A New Revised Standard Version Study Bible (i.e. The Disciple Study Bible, HarperCollins Study Bible, New Oxford Annotated Bible, or The Wesley Study Bible)
You will need access to:
Mays, James L., General Editor. Harper's Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper, 1988. (or newer edition).
Achtemeier, Paul, General Editor. Harper's Bible Dictionary. San Francisco: Harper, 1985. (or newer edition)
Dates
TBA
- Teacher: Richard Fitzgerald