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People's AcademyJanuary-May 2012: The Evolution of Christianity This course traces the history of Christianity from its origins with Jesus of Nazareth and the followers of “The Way,” to its ascendency as an imperial religion, to the explosion of diversity in the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation. We will pay particular attention to how doctrines, rituals, and traditions were both shaped by and influenced social, economic and political realities. The writings of important Christian theologians, mystics, missionaries, reformers and rebels will be viewed in their cultural and historical context. Participants in this class will also be introduced to the colorful variations within Christianity with special emphasis on the groups represented in the U.S. today. Sessions will be facilitated by Dr. Dave Krueger – adjunct professor with Temple University’s Department of Religion. For more information, email davidkrueger01@gmail.com or call 267-259-4995. Please check this webpage regularly for updates to our schedule. Join us Sundays between the Morning Worship Services 9:45-10:45 a.m. in the 2nd Floor conference room. Both occasional drop-ins and regular participants are welcome. Visit this webpage for updates/changes to the weekly schedule and suggested readings/video clips. Sunday, January 22: We watched a video segment "Justice and the World: What is the Character of Your God?" by early Christianity scholar John Dominic Crossan that explores the ways that Jesus and his movement challenged the claims of the Roman Empire. Discussion was lead by Nicola Jefferson and addressed the distinctions between Roman Imperial Theology and the what Crossan calls the "radicality of God." There were no assigned readings for this week. Sunday, January 29: John Dominic Crossan video: "History and Jesus: What is the Content of Your Faith?" No assigned readings. Sunday, February 5: John Dominic Crossan video: "Worship and Violence: What is the Purpose of Your Prayer?" No assigned readings. Sunday, February 12: John Dominic Crossan video: "Resurrection and Community: What is the Function of Your Church?" No assigned readings.
Sunday, February 19: Persecution of Christians
Sunday, February 26: Gatekeepers of Orthodoxy - the Politics of Doctrine and Canon
Sunday, March 4: Monastic Christianity
Sunday, March 11: Augustine and Aquinas
Sunday, March 18: Christianity's Encounter w/the Other: Crusades and Inquisitions
Sunday, March 25: Protestant Reformation: Martin Luther and John Calvin
Sunday, April 1: Radical Reformation
Sunday, April 8: Quakers and Puritans
Sunday, April 15: John Wesley
Past People's Academy studies include:
Fall 2011 - Introduction to the Religions of the World
In a world fractured by religious conflict, it is more important than ever to become peacemakers who have the skills to reach across religious difference.
In this People's Academy course, you will:
--Learn about the major religious traditions found worldwide today: Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and several indigenous religious traditions i.e. Santeria, Candomble & Lakota.
--Examine the rituals, beliefs, worldviews, practices, and values of these groups through reading sacred texts and commentaries. Our interdisciplinary analysis and interpretation of specific examples of religious experience will help shed light on the overall meaning of religion and human existence.
--Develop appreciation for the religious vibrancy and diversity that exist in human cultures and reflect on what it means to embrace a Christian identity in a religiously pluralistic world.
SABBATH ECONOMICS: BIBLICAL ECONOMICS AND OUR WORLD In a world economy dominated by globalization, consumerism, and corporate capitalism are there any meaningful alternatives? Does our Christian faith have any resources to help us respond? This series will explore the various economic values, teachings, and practices throughout the Bible, including the Mosaic covenant, the vision of Jubilee, the prophets, Jesus and the early church. Group members will reflect on how these biblical economic values nurture a human community of reverence, abundance, equity and care for creation. Participants will discern the implications of these biblical teachings for our own economic practices - as individuals, as communities, as congregations and as citizens of the global economy. This study was facilitated by Will O-Brien of Project H.O.M.E.
UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF 'POWER'
This study explored the nature of ‘power.’ Drawing on the perceptive scholarship of diverse theorists such as Antonio Gramsci, Pierre Bourdieu, Edward Said, Michel Foucault, Walter Wink, Mark Lewis Taylor, Martin Luther King, Jr., Traci West and Paolo Freire, we will discuss what ‘power’ is and how it operates in religious, educational, cultural and other social systems. Some questions we will address: What does it mean to 'speak truth to power'? - MLK, Jr. Why are prisons, schools and medical clinics so similar? - Foucault. Why does education so often reproduce unjust power arrangements? - Freire. To what degree is there a 'spiritual' quality to systems of power? - Wink. How can Christian ethics be more 'disruptive'? - West. In what ways are imperialist values embedded in modern literature? - Said. This course provided insights and practical tools for how Christians can effectively pursue peace and justice in a world that so often resists it.
Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People edited by Dorothy C. Bass, published by John Wiley and Sons Inc, 1997.
This volume is an excellent collection of essays covering a variety of topics relevant to Christian living. As a group, we read the essays, Hospitality: How do we become welcoming people? Dying Well: Embracing love while facing death. Discernment: How to make difficult decisions with spiritual integrity. Singing Our Lives: the power of song to change the world. Other essays include 'Honoring the Body', 'Household Economics', 'Saying Yes and Saying No', 'Keeping Sabbath', 'Testimony', 'Shaping Communities', 'Forgiveness', and 'Healing.'
Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio - U of Chicago Press, 2003.
Bayard Rustin, a Quaker born in West Chester, PA, was one of the most important figures of the American civil rights movement. He taught Martin Luther King, Jr. the methods of Gandhi, spearheaded the 1963 March on Washington, and helped bring the struggle of African Americans to the forefront of the nation's consciousness. Despite his integral role in the movement, the openly gay Rustin is not the household name that many of his activist contemporaries are. Acclaimed historian John D'Emilio explains why Rustin's influence was minimized by his peers and why his brilliant strategies were only followed by those he never meant to help. As a pacifist, he also spent time in prison for refusing the draft during WWII. Rustin is a compelling figure and his story will stimulate important conversation about Christian faith, social activism and questions of ual and racial identity.
How Much is Enough: Hungering for God in an Affluent Culture by Arthur Simon - Baker Books, 2003.
Author Art Simon (founder of Bread for the World) asks the question, “Why, in the face of unprecedented affluence do so many feel discontented?” He argues that “possessions may capture the heart, but they cannot nourish the soul.” Written in very simple language, this book is geared toward Christians who seek ultimate fulfillment in their relationship to God as well as practical transformation of their daily lives.
Book study: Myths Americans Live By - Richard T. Hughes
Book study: Democracy Matters - Cornel West
Book study: Peace Not Apartheid - Jimmy Carter
Video study: PBS Video Series - The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud
Group study: The Politics of Bible Making
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