Christian Formation
The Adult Christian Formation Commission coordinates the offering of classes on Sundays and on weekdays. These offerings, which are led by our clergy and lay leaders, academics, and other leaders in the Austin community, include topics on Bible study, current events, spiritual formation, Church history, and theology. These lectures, small group meetings, and discussions use books, current events, movies, and other media to explore the issues of living as a Christian in the world. If you are new to the Episcopal Church, the Discover Classes are a logical first step in learning about our tradition. Please feel free to contact The Rev. for more information about the Adult Christian Formation offerings. All classes meet on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at St. David’s.
NEW MICHAEL WHITE OFFERINGS
Dr. White, who holds the Ronald Nelson Smith Chair in Classics and Christian Origins, is a professor of Both Classics and Religious Studies, and is the Director of the Institute for the Study of Antiquity and Christian Origins (ISAC). He is the author of From Jesus to Christianity, published by Harper Collins. In the Spring, Harper Collins will publish Dr. White’s new book about the Gospel writers as storytellers and their images of Jesus.
BOOK STUDY SERIES
Scripting Jesus: The Gospels in Rewrite by L. Michael White (HarperOne, 2010)
Today, we tend to view the New Testament Gospels as written texts in light of our text oriented culture. Originally, however, they were intended to be “performed” as dramatic oral readings in the context of early Christian worship. Only gradually did they become more “literary” in character. Rather than biographies or histories in modern terms, their goal was to promote faith in Jesus in the light of their own times and situations. The early followers of Jesus did not own Bibles. Copies of the Biblical books did not begin to become available for roughly 200 years after the death of Jesus. As a result, they could not just “read” the Gospels as the principal means of learning about Jesus. Thus, in order to understand how they came about and how they imagined Jesus, the dynamic effects of oral story telling become extremely important as author and audience join in dramatic presentation.
Here is a reviewer’s comment:
Michael White has a gift for showing us how to deal with very complicated questions—not by hiding the real complexities, but by taking us step by step into the exciting process of discovery. Every reader who has ever puzzled over the oddities in the Gospels, and over the odd new Gospels that have been turning up in recent decades, will be grateful for Scripting Jesus. White’s hands-on knowledge of archaeology, his broad knowledge of the literature and culture of the Greco-Roman world, and his mastery of scholarship in several different areas all combine to make this a rich and illuminating book.
— Wayne A. Meeks, Woolsey Professor of Biblical Studies Emeritus, Yale University
There is a $100 tuition cost for this series and some scholarships are available. Please contact the for more information.
Lectures: The Gospel of John
Crail C, 7-8:30 p.m.
September 28
October 19
November 9
December 14
January 25
February 1
March 28
April 18
May 9
Book Study: Scripting Jesus (Second Half)
Crail C, 7-8:30 p.m.
September 21
October 12
November 2
December 7
January 18
February 8
March 7
April 11
May 2
