Living the Questions DVD course
An Unapologetically Liberal Alternative to The Alpha Course. Living the Questions is a 12-week DVD small group study exploring beyond the traditions and rote theologies in which so many people and local churches seem to be stuck. Living the Questions will help seekers and "church alumnae" alike in discovering the significance of Christianity in the 21st Century and what a meaningful faith can look like in today's world.
John Dominic Crossan - Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at De Paul University, John Dominic Crossan is generally acknowledged to be the premier historical Jesus scholar in the world.
John Shelby Spong - The retired Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, Spong is a columnist and author of over fourteen books including: Bible from Fundamentalism, and Why Christianity Must Change or Die.
[The following synopsis is extracted from a review by Adrian Alker, vicar of St Mark’s Sheffield.]
Sadly too often churches and ministers have sought to impose an orthodoxy of belief, to portray the Christian life as believing in a set of truths rather than inviting people to be transformed in their journeying by the presence of the divine in their lives.
From the United States comes a new study course, calling itself ‘a progressive alternative for Christian invitation and spiritual formation’.
Living the Questions comes as 12 themes, covered through half hour DVD presentations (4 DVDs cover the complete sessions). Time and again it is made clear that Living the Questions seeks not to provide easy answers but to be a resource for people who are in the midst of a life long conversation about the mysteries of faith and life.
The 12 themes are:
- An invitation to Journey
- Thinking Theologically
- Creativity and Stories of Creation
- Restoring Relationships
- Evil and a God of Love: The Place of Suffering
- Intimacy with God
- Social Justice and The Prophets
- A Kingdom without Walls: Ruth and Jonah
- Lives of Jesus
- Compassion: the Heart of Jesus' Ministry
- A Passion for Christ: Paul the Apostle
- Out into the World: Challenges Facing Progressive Christianity
The DVD material is of course very American, as are most of the contributors - notably Marcus Borg (you will see him here if not on tour!), Jack Spong, Dominic Crossan, Nancy Ammerman and many others. On the video clips you listen in to interviews, snippets of seminars and lectures and also direct camera speak to you the viewer. And so in session one on the role of biblical authority, you will meet Crossan speaking on fundamentalism, Lloyd Geering describing some fundamentalist churches as the enemies of Christianity and a marvellous southern American academic and pastor named Tex Sample, standing in front of an enormous cactus with a wonderful anecdote about a revivalist preacher! As a participant you have accompanying notes with helpful vocabulary and concepts explained, in case you were unsure, for example, on what the difference is between inerrant and infallible. Each session gives scripture references mentioned in the DVD, an opportunity for prayer and meditation and the chance to dig deeper.
Living the Questions is for those on a journey of faith discovery and perhaps those who have given up on traditionalist church teaching. It is very much geared to an articulate and well educated audience and makes clear its conviction that such a course is for small group use, not a teach yourself guide to Christianity!
Living the Questions comes out of the 21st century and aims to offer the groundwork for a credible Christian faith for this century.
To find out more, contact Rev Chris Goacher 01332 732171
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