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Classes for
Normal People
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Is The Bible Relevant?
Many of us grew up being told the Bible had an answer for every moral dilemma, every political debate, every life decision. When we discovered it didn't work that way, we were left wondering: Is the Bible even relevant anymore?
In this class, theologian Drew G. I. Hart argues that if we're looking for a rulebook, the answer is clearly no. But if we're willing to read scripture as a living conversation of wisdom and inspiration that bends toward justice, liberation, and shalom, then the Bible becomes extremely relevant. Drawing on his own theological traditions, Drew will walk through how different parts of the Bible are healing as well as harmful, yet collectively can inform some of today's most urgent concerns (race, empire, gender, land, and peacemaking) and how we can interpret, wrestle with, and embody scripture’s wisdom for pursuing more just and mutually liberative communities rather than as a weapon to dominate others.
Following Jesus in the American Empire
What is the right relationship of faith to politics? If you’re watching the news lately you might have seen it play out in a lot of ways, many of them harmful. This class invites us to reflect on what it means for the U.S. to be an “empire” and how the values of empire continue to shape our lives. Rather than separating faith and politics we will look at how Scripture has things to say about politics: about power, injustice, and the mercy and justice of God. In this class, instructor Kat Armas will teach us about the stories we have inherited—about power, belonging, fear, and control—and consider how they echo the logic of empire present throughout Scripture.
Together, we will explore what it means to follow Jesus when our politics are full of division and domination. How can our theology move us toward faithful presence rather than passive acceptance? What does it look like to embody mercy, justice, and truth in our personal lives, our families and neighborhoods, and out in public?
The Real David
David is the hero of the Hebrew Bible: the great warrior, the great poet, the king against whom all others are measured, the “man after God’s own heart.”
From Goliath to the Psalms, David’s name and story have inspired generations, and continue to be deeply embedded in modern culture. Even his failings are held up as proof of his humanity: after all, what is a hero without a tragic flaw (or two)?
But how much of this story is true? What can we know about David, and how, at a distance of three thousand years, can we know it?
The Bible is Not a Rulebook
For many Christians, the Bible has long been treated as a moral instruction manual—offering clear, timeless, universal rules for right and wrong. But what happens when the text doesn’t behave like a rule book? When it contradicts itself, feels outdated, or refuses to give us the clarity we crave?
American Christianity: How Did We Get Here?
Why is Christianity in the United States so deeply entangled with white Christian nationalism, political extremism, and racism today? Led by Dr. Jemar Tisby, this class will confront hard truths about how race and power shaped Christianity in the United States and how we can come together to imagine a better path forward.
Jesus and the Culture Wars: The Gospels as Guides
How do stories told by and about Jesus help us ask the right questions about the issues fracturing society today? Are the Gospels even valuable to people who don’t believe in G-d, miracles, or final judgement? AJ Levine explains how Jesus’ parables, healings, instructions, and debates help readers navigate both community responsibility and personal ethics on topics such as health care, economics, ethnicity, slavery’s legacy, and family values.
Life After Doom
More and more of us look at our global ecological crisis, our pervasive political division, our intensifying economic inequality, and our deep-seated racial and religious bigotry… and we feel hope draining away. Brian McLaren is grappling with this growing cloud of doom descending on millions of us… seeking to bring “wisdom and courage to a world falling apart.” He invites us to explore motivations deeper than hope and explore practices of realistic resilience in this short course for the B4NP community.
Claiming the Promised Land: Dismantling the Doctrines that Shaped the World
The “Doctrine of Discovery” is a philosophical and legal framework dating to the 15th century that gave Christian governments moral and legal rights to invade and seize indigenous lands and dominate Indigenous Peoples.
What is the religious justification for this doctrine? Led by Sarah Augustine, this class will explore a theological framework for decolonizing the Doctrine of Discovery and identify concrete steps toward seeking repair.
One Nation Under God?
What does the American flag have to do with the cross? To adherents of Christian nationalism, the answer is everything. Join Sam Perry for a glimpse into the sociocultural phenomenon of white Christian Nationalism and how the Bible is being used to support ideologies that are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus.
Virgins, Witches, and Hot Wives: The Treatment of Women from Jesus to Evangelicalism
Class focused on the biblical message about Jesus’s treatment of women in contrast with the church’s historical misogyny. Facilitated by Jennifer Garcia Bashaw.