I open the course with proofs of God: the ontological proof, the cosmological proof, the veritological proof, and the teleological proof. These are various ways that philosophy of religion specialists – Anselm of Canterbury, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Descartes, among others- have attempted to prove God using pure logic. This is called “Natural Theology”.
The Old Testament is a series of texts written in ancient Judea stemming from around 1500 BC to 160 AD. The texts that comprise today’s Old Testament were written and edited many times, and these edits can still be recognized. The Old Testament differs slightly and significantly between Protestants and Catholics even today, as Catholics use the Septuagint- the ancient Greek Translation of the text- while Protestants have returned to a Hebrew version of the canon.
We’ll spend four sessions talking about the Old Testament. In the first two sessions, we’ll be exploring evidence that the Old Testament is a number of texts put together- both creation stories, for example, as well as Adam and Eve. In the second two sessions, we’ll be talking about what we can reconstruct with historical accuracy about ancient Israel, with a specific focus on the destruction and reconstruction of the Temple.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the “synoptic gospels”: this is because they tend to have very, very similar views of Jesus, often overlapping almost word for word. This differs fundamentally from the Gospel of John. Here, we’ll start by looking at some of these similarities between the synoptic gospels and what that might mean (spoiler alert: they might use the same sources). We’ll also try to date the Gospels- most scholars agree they were likely written between 60 and 100 AD, which is significant, as Christ likely died around 30 AD.
We’ll also briefly look at Paul more in depth, a figure who is frequently only known by those who read the Bible. Paul’s letters comprise the bulk of the New Testament, and Paul was the apostle who never met Jesus but still was perhaps the most successful in spreading Christianity, and without whom Christ’s message likely would have faded into obscurity.
Fundamental to Christian belief is the Trinity: that God is three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are all one God. We’ll try to understand better what this doctrine means, looking at thinkers from Arius and Eusebius in the 4th century to St. Thomas Aquinas
Martin Luther King Jr., if you didn’t know, was a trained pastor with a PhD in Theology. We’ll look at examples of liberation theology stemming from the Old Testament to the American Civil Rights Movement.
The Catholic Church was the most powerful organization in Europe, and thus the world, after Constantine made Christianity the state religion of Rome until at least the Enlightenment. We’ll look at as much of how Christianity has shaped the world as we are able.
We’d love for you to join. Very much looking forward to it!
