For those who have embraced the idea that the Bible in its original form is perfect and unchanging, the answer to the questions of how and why the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible arose is simple: it came directly from God to humanity. Any errors and discrepancies are the result of careless transcribers. However, as Dr. Peter Enns explores in this class, the historical evidence demonstrates the answers to these questions are, in fact, much more complicated. Join Dr. Peter Enns as he examines the convoluted, lengthy, and messy origin of the Old Testament.

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.

What Does God Know? Omniscience is one of God’s most iconic attributes and an attribute many Jewish people, Christians, and Muslims believe in. Yet when we look at several of the stories in the opening chapters of Genesis, God does not appear to be omniscient! God appears to make simple mistakes, needs to change plans, is unable to foresee easily predictable situations, and regrets choices after making them. What are people in general, and people of faith in particular, supposed to do with biblical stories like these? The answer to that question will affect not only our beliefs about God’s knowledge, but about every single thing we believe about God.

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.

Conversations surrounding Biblical interpretation have been ongoing since the conception of the Hebrew and Christian Bible. Throughout history, different frameworks and strategies have been birthed out of response to human experiences. In the late 19th century, the voices of black female scholars, Katie Cannon, Renita Weems, Delores S. Williams, Kelly Brown Douglas, Jacquelyn Grant & more, emerged in Christian theological discourse. In this class, Rev. Dr. Angela N. Parker will cover the foundations, the fundamentals & the futures of Womanist biblical interpretation.

What do naked mole rats, the Millenium Bridge, & systemic injustice have in common? Why, in his letter to the Romans, does Paul emphasize sin as more of a person at work rather than individual shortcomings? What is Paul attempting to communicate about sin? In this class, Dr. Matthew Croasmun will explore Paul’s uses of “Sin” language in Romans 5-8 and how we might see the effects of sin at play in our world today.

This class will introduce participants to the Christian eschatological position of universal salvation, which teaches that all persons will eventually be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. Key figures in the Christian tradition (e.g., Origen of Alexandria, Gregory of Nyssa, Isaac of Nineveh, Julian of Norwich, etc.) who have held the universalist hope will be surveyed, in preparation for a systematic analysis of the key theological factors motivating an affirmation of universal salvation (e.g., biblical evidence, the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo, the revelation of God as self-giving, omnipotent love in Jesus Christ, etc.). Taught by Roberto de La Noval.

Earthquakes. Falling stars. A blood red moon. The final judgment. The last days. These are just some of the things people associate with Revelation, the book that closes the Christian Bible. Because Revelation claims to disclose “things that must happen soon,” many Christians read it as a catalog of predictions or a blueprint for the “last days.” As result, some Christians use the book’s images and proclamations to control, dominate, instill fear, and even make a profit. In this class, Dr. Lynn R. Huber will define what an “apocalypse” is and why the author of Revelation might have chosen this language found in the last book of the Christian Bible.

In this class, Dr. Pete Enns will survey seven stages of Biblical interpretation, from Second Temple Judaism through postmodernity.

A one–night class surveying the Bible’s diverse and sometimes questionable sexual ethics and where we go from here with Dr. Anna Sieges-Beal.

Jesus’ crucifixion is a central part of Christianity, but why Jesus died is anything but simple to explain. In this one-night class, Dr. Jennifer Garcia Bashaw will survey the major atonement theories and comment on their strengths and weaknesses in explaining salvation.

“What do we do now?” During our faith transitions, this was a question we asked ourselves often. What does it mean to be Christian without being certain about who God is? How do we value a Bible that isn’t inerrant? Join Pete Enns and Jared Byas as they reflect on their own personal journey with letting go of a certain type of faith and learning to build a new one. Pete and Jared will share their stories and consider principles, tips, and practices they’ve learned along the way.

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.

A six-part video series with Jared Byas based on his book, Love Matters More.

Offering insights on how to read the Bible in a way that honors the unique and helpful perspective of people on the margins while also engaging in the best in biblical scholarship.

A class on why moving past inerrancy gives you a better Bible and a bigger God. Facilitated by Pete Enns.

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.

What does the Bible have to say about gender? This class with Austen Hartke explores the Bible beyond the binary.

Based on Enn’s The Evolution of Adam, this six-part video series will help those who want to reconcile the teachings of the Bible with science and evolution.

In this four-week course, Thomas Jay Oord introduces us to open and relational theology.