Summary of bible courses

COURSES TO BE OFFERED BY IBESI I

WHAT IS IT? This 12-week course is a survey course that will introduce students to the basic approaches to the study of the Bible and will seek to answer ‘inter alia’ the following questions:        

What is Scripture and what is its purpose?

What is the Bible?

Who wrote it and when was it written?

Who reads it and why?

Why is so much of it boring and unintelligible?

What value does it have in the 21st century?

The canonical books The deutero-canonical books

II

IN THE BEGINNING This 12-week course focuses on the history of the Hebrew people as depicted in the 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures. It will highlight and explain the three divisions of these Scriptures – the Torah, the Nevi’im and the Ketubim - and show their interrelatedness.

It will also seek to give students an understanding of the following events:          

The flight out of Egypt The march into the Promised Land The United Kingdom The Divided Kingdom The Assyrian Invasion The Babylonian Captivity The Restoration and Foreign Domination The Maccabean Revolution Defeat, Hellenization and Roman Colonization The Intertestamental Period

III THE STORY CONTINUES This 12-week course studies the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and the establishment of Christianity as a separate religion. It will cover the following:         

Paul’s Contribution To Christianity Highlights of Jesus’ ministry His methods of instruction – parables, miracles, expositions and discourses The impact of his teaching Betrayal, abandonment, trial and crucifixion His legacy The continuation of Jesus’ work Paul’s contribution to the establishment and growth of Christianity Persecution, resistance and instruction of the new initiate

IV

HOW DO I MAKE SENSE OF THIS STORY? This 12-week course introduces students to tools of analysis of the Scriptures to facilitate interpretation and the derivation of meanings as a basis for their on-going practical application in the life and affairs of individuals.

Topics to be covered include:    

V

Literal interpretation Allegorical interpretation Metaphysical interpretation Hermeneutics – theories of interpretation

EXPLORING THE FIRST PART OF THE STORY This 12-week course will apply the tools and techniques learned in Section IV to gain insights into the meaning of specific events reported in the Hebrew Scriptures. Thereafter students will be guided into using these insights to give meaning and practical application to major events such as:          

VI

The allegories of Genesis: The Creation, The Fall of Man, The Flood The significance of the Patriarchs Moses and the Promised Land The rule of the judges The establishment and demise of the kingdom The role of the prophets Captivity and Restoration Foreign Domination Independence and Colonization The growth of the power of the religious hierarchy and the rise of oral Torah

DISCOVERING THE NEW DISPENSATION OF THE SECOND PART OF THE STORY This 12-week course provides the opportunity to analyze, discover the meanings of and to interpret the main events/activities recorded in the Christian Scriptures.

On this basis, students will learn how to apply their

interpretations to the functioning of their daily lives. events/activities/roles that will be highlighted are:        

The

The birth narratives The temptations, baptism and start of Jesus’ ministry The phases and components of the ministry Methods of instruction: precepts, parables, “miracles”, exposition, healing, discourses The “Miracle Worker”, the “New Moses”, the “Compassionate One” and the “Son of God” From single leadership to multiple leadership The separation is completed as the Word is spread The revelations of the apocalypse

VII IN CONCLUSION This 12-week course will serve as a platform for the individual and group discussion of topics as a basis for assessing the Bible against several criteria such as:            

Fact or fiction?

Instrument of obfuscation or channel of enlightenment?

Encouragement of vertical or horizontal mindset?

Facilitative of literal or allegorical/metaphysical interpretation?

Narrow cultural/geographical focus or universally applicable?

Orientation towards casual and superficial reading or fertile ground for deep and on-going study and research?

Justification of prejudice or champion of equality?

Meaningless record of an irrelevant ancient history or a guide to living in the here and now?

Irregular point of reference or reliable avenue of inspiration?

Personality-driven or principle-based?

Supportive of violence or advocate of peace?

Tool for oppression or guideline for liberation?

VIII

RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD This 12-week course introduces students to the major religions.

Its point of departure is that most persons who live in the Western world have until recent times considered Judaism and Christianity to be the only religions of consequence. However, during the last twenty years which have coincided with the rapid growth of Islam, there is now growing interest in learning about the other religions of the world.

It will cover the following topics: 

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Hinduism, a polytheistic religion whose main teaching is that there are four paths to God through knowledge, love, work and psychophysical exercises Judaism, the first Abrahamic religion whose main teaching is Monotheism, the doctrine of One God Shinto, an indigenous Japanese religion whose main teaching is that the “kami”, the gods, exist in everyone and everything Confucianism/Taoism, an indigenous Chinese religion whose main teaching is that propriety in all things is to be pursued Buddhism, whose main teaching advocates the Middle Way, the path of non-extremism Christianity, the second Abrahamic religion whose main teaching is Monotheism, the doctrine of One God that emphasizes the elimination of social barriers in a discipleship of equals Islam, the third Abrahamic religion that teaches Monotheism and oneness with God

PROCEDURES OF OPERATION Eligibility For Taking Courses Anyone can take any course at any time but there is merit in taking them in the order presented in the listing of Course Offerings Certificate of Participation Each participant who completes the requirements for each course will be awarded a Certificate of Participation Certificate of Completion Each participant who complete the requirements for all seven course offerings will be awarded a Certificate of Completion