Lutheran Theology

• Radical Lutheran Theology:  Martin Luther was the first person in the West to claim, hundreds of years before Friedrich Nietzsche, that God is dead.  What did he mean by such a phrase, and what would it mean for Christians today to live, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “before God without God”?  This exciting new course explores with congregations the prospect of a “radical” Lutheran theology, one that speaks to Christians living in a context where ”organized religion” is suspect and ”God” for many around us is “dead.”  4 weeks/1-day workshop   

• What Does it Mean to be Lutheran? What do Lutherans believe, and what does it mean to be Lutheran—especially in the Pacific Northwest?  This series treats six “core themes” of the Lutheran faith, beginning with what Luther considered to be the foundation of Christian faith and then moving to Luther’s revolutionary approach to the Bible, his  two-fold understanding of where God is present in the world, and finally to his views on what it means to live a meaningful (or “purpose-driven”) life.  5 weeks/1-day workshop

• Great Lutheran Theologians: Who are the great voices of the Lutheran theological tradition and what might they have to teach us?  This series examines the perspective of four great Lutheran theologians: Soren Kierkegaard, Paul Tillich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Dorothee Soelle.  Attention is given to biography, what they wrote and why, and how their views can have an impact on our faith and understanding of God today. 4 weeks/1-day workshop

• The Luther We Never Knew: This series compares and contrasts the popular understanding of who Luther was and what he wrote with what he actually said.  Special attention will be given to the claim that Luther was anti-Semitic as well as his (alleged?) denial of human free will. 4 weeks/1-day workshop

Contemporary Issues

• Christian Faith and the “New” Atheists: What do Christians make of the rising (or at least more noticeable) tide of atheism recently?  This series looks at how prominent atheists have criticized and rejected the Christian faith, starting with Ludwig Feuerbach (“God is a projection”) and Friedrich Nietzsche (“God is dead”) and concluding with two new atheists, Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris. After a summary of each critique, we will consider how Christian theologians have responded.  Their answers may surprise you! 4 weeks/1-day workshop

• My Neighbor’s Faith: Islam 101: Despite the many common features Islam shares with Christianity, people today have little understanding of the core values and beliefs of Islam; this course will introduce congregations to the religion of Islam through a four-week study that includes the pre-Islamic Arabian religious world, the importance of Muhammad and the Qur’an, Islamic theology and ritual practices. Featuring Brenda Ihssen, PhD.  4 weeks/1-day workshop

• My Neighbor’s Faith: Judaism 101: In this course, we will explore Jewish sacred texts, history, theology, rituals, and worldviews. How is the Hebrew Bible relevant to contemporary Jews? What are Jewish views about God, the afterlife, grace, and sin? How do Jews variously understand the human condition, the roles and expectations of men and women, and the State of Israel?  Once we have a greater understanding of Judaism, what prospects might exist for interreligious dialogue?  Featuring Beatrice Lawrence, PhD.  4 weeks/1-day workshop

• My Neighbor’s Faith: Mormons, Adventists, Christian Scientists 101: The 19th century was a time of innovation and change in American social life, including religion.  Several worldwide religious movements arose during this time and remain with us today.  This series explores three of these movements–Seventh-day Adventism, Christian Science, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormons”).  How did each of these religions arise?  What do they teach and what is their situation now?  Featuring Michael Zbaraschuk, PhD. 4 weeks/1-day retreat

• Four Views of Hope: Prospects for the Afterlife: The Apostle Paul declares that nothing–not even death–”will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39).  This is a bold claim.  How will God make it happen?  What do Christians believe when it comes to life beyond the grave?  This series examines the meaning of the resurrection of the body and the immortality of the soul as well as reincarnation and purgatory–all of which are options that have been proposed by Christian theologians over the centuries.  Together we will explore the promises of each.  4 weeks/1-day workshop

•  Evolution, Creation, and Christian Faith: How should Christians relate to evolutionary biology?  Is it a threat to Christian faith or a resource for thinking of God in new ways?  What does Christian faith say about science, truth, and the Bible?  This series will uncover the 19^th century roots of evolutionary theory as well as how it is understood today.  It then explores various Christian responses to the question of evolution, including short-earth creationism, intelligent design, theistic evolution, and the “two-languages” model.  Featuring Michael Zbaraschuk, PhD.  4 weeks/1-day workshop

Bible/Scripture Study/Creeds

• Cross Perspectives: Why Did Jesus Die? Many people today owe their understanding of why Jesus died to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, a film that has grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide since its release in 2004.  A closer look at the New Testament, however, reveals explanations for how and why Jesus died that differ considerably from Gibson’s account.  This series explores each interpretation of Jesus’ death in the New Testament, illustrating the rich diversity of explanations that Paul and the Gospel writers gave for how and why Jesus died on the cross. 5 weeks/1-day workshop

• The Resurrection of Christ: Mystery or History? The Apostle Paul speaks of Christ’s cross as a “stumbling block” to faith, but for people who live in an age informed by science and technology, sometimes an even bigger obstacle to faith is the belief that Jesus rose from the dead.  Did the earliest Christians believe that Jesus’ resurrection was simply the resuscitation of his corpse?  Or does the New Testament point toward a more complex and nuanced understanding of resurrection?  To find an answer, this series explores the various accounts of resurrection in the New Testament, attempting to “resurrect the resurrection” for people of faith today. 5 weeks/1-day workshop

• Martin Luther and the “Secret” Meaning of Scripture: Are you a “Bible-believing Christian”?  Some churches insist that everything the Bible says is true and that Christians must submit to everything it teaches.  But what did Martin Luther have to say about the Bible?  Did he believe that all its writings held equal value?  And what kind of ”secret,” revolutionary meaning did he think it could have for people living 1500 (or 2000) years after the birth of Christ? This series examines Luther’s unique and radical way of reading Scripture, one that has the potential to unlock its relevance for contemporary people of faith. 4 weeks/1-day workshop

• Reading Revelation: Decoding the Bible’s Most Dangerous Book: Did you know that the Book of Revelation almost did not make it into the Bible?  Why?  This series explores the controversies surrounding the Book of Revelation, including its treatment and near-rejection by Martin Luther.  Of special interest will be the meaning of Revelation in its original first century historical context and how, in light of its meaning for people in the first century, we can discern the gospel or surprisingly good news it might offer us today. 2 weeks/half-day workshop

• Are the Creeds Credible?  Every Sunday many Christians profess their faith in the words of the Nicene or Apostles’ Creed.  But what do the words of these creeds mean?  Why were they written, who wrote them, and what was their original function?  Designed especially for those who wonder about the relevance of the creeds for faith today, this series brings to the surface what the creeds actually say–and do not say–about the “essentials” of Christian faith.  The study concludes by considering what the creeds might mean for us in a context radically different than the one(s) in which they first appeared.  4 weeks/1-day workshop

• Jesus’ Miracles Then and Now: Do miracles really happen?  What are they?  What does the Bible actually say about miracles in the ministry of Jesus and how, if at all, do they relate to the Christian faith?  This series, previously offered at Holden Village and inspired by Luther Seminary’s Theo-Rush: A Biblical Experience, explores the role and function of miracle stories in the Bible.  After looking at miracles in the Bible, the series examines Luther’s view of miracles and concludes with a look at how modern theologians have reinterpreted miracles for people living in a scientific age. 4 weeks/1-day workshop