Mondays, Feb 15—Mar 29, 7:00-8:30

Cost: $89

We often read fragments of the Bible—in search of inspirational quotes, moral lessons, and defense for our doctrines. We dissect the Bible, and in the process lose the living breathing story. But, this is not the only way to read the Bible. You can develop the tools necessary to see the Biblical narrative as a whole. In this class, by carefully studying seven mountaintop encounters with God, we will weave together the entire scriptural narrative—from Genesis to Revelation. The result is a narrative that is more complicated and challenging, but also more beautiful and transformative. Through seven mountaintop encounters, you will find yourself in the unfolding adventure of the Bible.

The course is online, and space is limited.

Sometimes it’s hard to see a religious tradition you’ve grown up with for what it is. The voice of an outsider is often exactly what we need to see ourselves differently. Friedrich Nietzsche’s seminal critique of Christianity, The Antichrist, penetrates to the very heart of the tradition. A careful and candid reading of this work gives a unique insight into a world that admires Jesus but is repelled by Christianity. Come experience one of history’s most exciting and challenging critiques of institutional Christianity—where we will ask: what did Nietzsche get right about Christianity? What did he get wrong? What can we continue to learn from him today?

When: Wednesday evenings (June 3 - July 8), 7:00-8:00pm

Where: online via Zoom

Cost: FREE!!!

These are stressful times. As we all do our part to flatten the curve of COIVD-19, many of us are struggling with our new lack of routine. Our ordinary working and socializing lives are thrown off-kilter.

But periods of silence and isolation have long been understood as schools for the spiritual life. A person who is stuck at home—as many of us are now—is in a great position to read, pray, and meditate. And we’d like to do these things together as a community, even if we are physically far apart from each other.

To that end, for the next four weeks, or until the city goes back to some measure of normalcy, we’d like to meet by Zoom Wednesday evenings, 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm to discuss one excerpt from Richard Foster’s Devotional Classics each week.

When you register we’ll send a pdf of the first, short reading directly to your email inbox. A small care package, including a copy of the book, will be close behind.

We hope you’ll join us for this series. It begins this Wednesday, March 25th, so register now!

REGISTER HERE!

Cost: FREE PROMOTIONAL CLASS!

This is a weekly seminar, Monday evenings in Lent (March 2-30) 7:00-8:30pm.

The story at the heart of Christianity is one of an angry God sentencing his son to die a cruel and gruesome death to somehow appease his wrath against all humanity. Or at least that’s how it’s been told. How can we come to grips with a God like that? How could a God who stands for justice and love abandon his child to such a fate? This course will introduce you to a broad array of ways that Christians throughout the centuries have understood the meaning of Jesus’ death. We’ll explore these ideas carefully and fearlessly so that you can develop an understanding of the cross that coheres with your sense of justice and nourishes your spirituality.

This is a weekend seminar, Friday Nov. 1st, 6:00-8:30 and Saturday Nov. 2nd, 9:00-4:00.

Christianity contains a rich tradition of prayer practices that help a person participate in the life of God in the silence of their heart and in community with others. The Christian mystical path, broadly speaking, treats a life with God as a journey, with perceivable signposts along the way. This class invites students to learn about the mystical path through the life and works of mystics who have gone before us, including the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, and others.

This is a five week series, on Thursdays from 5:30pm - 7:00pm

• Sept. 26th: Gender and Sexuality in the Biblical World

• Oct. 3rd: The Myth of the “Biblical view on Marriage”

• Oct. 10th: Women, Sexual Violence, and Gender Inequity in the Biblical world

• Oct. 17th: Sodom and Gomorrah: Hospitality, Angels, or Homosexuality?

• Oct. 24th: Homosexuality and the “Clobber Passages”

What is the Biblical view of marriage? What is the Biblical view of sex? What is the Biblical view of gender? These questions often serve to end conversations, rather than start them. But contrary to what is often suggested, the “Biblical view” on these questions is far from simple or clear. In fact, close scrutiny of the the Bible debunks the simple and naive answers that are often given to these challenging questions. Rather, the text reveals a rich tapestry of complex and multifaceted views on these issues. In this class, we will return to the text and attempt to remove our blinders, in order to reveal what the texts actually say about gender and sexuality, and to unearth the debates and arguments that are happening within the scriptures.