The Bible says that Jesus was identified as God's beloved son at his baptism. The same identification was made about Israel in the Old Testament and the disciples of Christ at their baptism. The striking similarity of these titles establishes a tight interrelationship between the people Israel, the person of Jesus Christ, and the church.
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In this course, we will explore how a close reading of the book of Genesis, the Gospels, and early Christian writers can shed further light on these relationships and, in so doing, deepen our understanding of the figure of Jesus Christ. Unlike many other treatments, this course does not presume that Jesus’ character can be plumbed solely by an examination of the Gospel stories.
The witness of the Jewish scriptures and the lives of the saints are also important sources for this task.
The course will be eight weeks in length and organized around three topical questions:
Who is Israel? (primary source material: the book of Genesis)
Who is Jesus? (primary source material: the Gospels and the Creeds)
Who is the Church? (primary source material: a selection of post-Biblical Christian writers)
No matter what your background in the study of theology, this course will provide a fresh approach to the identify of Jesus Christ that will reveal how the church has explored the unmeasurable depths of his person.
What you'll learn:
- Recognize major people, places, and events of the Old and New Testament as related to the narratives of Israel and Jesus
- Reflect on the mysteries of Christ
- Examine the Church’s relationship to Christ
- Explore religious questions through study of themes and selected biblical passages
- Reflect on ways major biblical themes apply to modern life
