Have you ever read a Biblical passage that was hard to understand or didn’t make sense? Have you heard a saying of Jesus in the Gospels and wondered why he would’ve said that? We often encounter difficult passages in the scriptures and struggle with their meanings and interpretations. While potentially frustrating and controversial, reading and studying challenging and complex texts can also be rewarding and help us understand more of our relationship with the scriptures and our relationship with God and our neighbors.
Starting on September 19, we will embark on a five-week study on some of the most challenging passages in the New Testament. Using Amy-Jill Levine’s new book “The Difficult Words of Jesus,” the class will explore and study some challenging texts and how we, as modern readers, interpret how the first-century writers and audiences encountered when they heard the same texts and narratives.
Parishioners and clergy will lead each session that will include an in-depth study and conversation. The class will meet in the Commons Room on September 19 and October 3, 10, 17, and 24. We will take a break on September 26 for Buddy’s forum recap of the summer small group sessions.
Our sessions are not a book study of Amy-Jill’s book. No reading is required. However, if you want to read the book as we go through our sessions, you are more than welcome (it’s a great read!). We hope this class will be rewarding and help us read and interpret tough scriptures responsibly and positively. If you have any questions, please contact Father Tim.