Quick Info:
Number of weeks: 10
Price: $50
CEUs: 2.2
Required books?: No
Live video session?: No
Part of a certification or series of courses?: Yes (Wesley Lay Academy)
How do you reconcile the presence of evil in the world with belief in a loving God? How should Christians relate to other religions? Does the “Christ of Faith” bear any resemblance to the “Jesus of History”?
Ten Christian and Jewish theologians – world experts in their fields and persons of faith – each address a single perplexing issue. These ten issues are obstacles to faith for many both in and outside of the church. Each week a short scriptural study and personal reflection questions will help participants begin to think about the topic. Video presentations by the noted scholars will provide further material for discussion. This course will encourage energetic discussion and sustained reflection by both believers and seekers.
Lessons Include:
- Evil — R. Kendall Soulen, Wesley Theological Seminary
- Religion and Science — John Polkinghorne, Cambridge University
- Other Religions — Sathianathan Clarke, Wesley Theological Seminary
- Evangelism and Tolerance –Scott Jones, Bishop; formerly Perkins School of Theology
- The God of the Old Testament — Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt Divinity School
- Jesus and Christianity — Richard B. Hays, Duke Divinity School
- Resurrection — N. T. Wright, Bishop; formerly Oxford University
- The Gnostic Gospels — Ben Witherington, Asbury Theological Seminary
- The Sins of the Church –Douglas M. Strong, Wesley Theological Seminary
- Forgiveness — L. Gregory Jones, Duke Divinity School
2.2 CEUs are available.
*Please note: You will need to access this course from a laptop or desktop computer in order to view the videos embedded in this course; they will not play on a tablet or phone.
Price: $50
About the Instructor
Meg Calvin’s roots are in Texas, but she has served in the Sunflower State as the Director of Children’s and Family Ministry at First United Methodist Church of Winfield, Kansas, for nearly a decade. Meg is the author of The Bluebonnet Child; Finding Grace in Poor Soil, and she has a BA in Religion and Philosophy from Southwestern College of Kansas and an MA in Children’s and Family Ministry from Bethel Seminary of Minnesota. She presents workshops at teachers’ conferences on how best to serve kids from troubled homes. In January 2018, she will lead a breakout session on The Bluebonnet Child, worship for children, and the recruitment and nurturing of volunteers at the large Children’s Pastor’s Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Meg loves Fitbit challenges, reading the autobiographies of comedians, learning Spanish, antiquing, and game nights with friends. She and her husband spend most of their free-time playing tag with their young daughter. She blogs at www.thebluebonnetchild.com and with other Bethel alumni at www.corycenter.org in hopes of equipping other Children’s Pastors.
Past Students Said…
“I really liked the personal reflection questions that came before the lectures, as they encouraged me to crystalize my thinking prior to learning from the lecture.”
“The video lectures where great. They allowed me to think of the week’s content in new ways.”
“The online discussions were critical, as far as I’m concerned. Most of the lectures were great, but the questions and resulting discussions really bring out different ways to look at how I’m thinking.”
