Notre Dame edX Course: Jesus in Scripture and Tradition

May 31, 2015May 31, 2015 Deane Biblical Literature, Biblical Studies Topics, Church Fathers, Development of Christology, Ecclesiology (Christian Church), Genesis, Gospels, Israel and Judah, Jesus, Online Courses, Online courses - Early Christianity / New Testament, Online courses - Early Judaism / Old Testament - Hebrew Bible, Patriarchs, Torah, Universities / Academia edX, Gary Anderson, Jesus in Scripture and Tradition, John C. Cavadini, University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is offering a free 8-week course called Jesus in Scripture and Tradition, available from June 1, 2015.

The instructors are Professor Gary Anderson (Hebrew Bible/Old Testament) and John C. Cavadini (Theology). The course can either be taken for free (audited), or at certificate level (at US$50), and in either case you will receive full access to the course materials.

About this course
The Bible says that Jesus was identified as God’s beloved son at his baptism. The same identification was made about Israel in the Old Testament and the disciples of Christ at their baptism. The striking similarity of these titles establishes a tight interrelationship between the people Israel, the person of Jesus Christ, and the church.

In this course, we will explore how a close reading of the book of Genesis, the Gospels, and early Christian writers can shed further light on these relationships and, in so doing, deepen our understanding of the figure of Jesus Christ. Unlike many other treatments, this course does not presume that Jesus’ character can be plumbed solely by an examination of the Gospel stories. The witness of the Jewish scriptures and the lives of the saints are also important sources for this task.

The course will be eight weeks in length and organized around three topical questions:

Who is Israel? (primary source material: the book of Genesis)

Who is Jesus? (primary source material: the Gospels and the Creeds)

Who is the Church? (primary source material: a selection of post-Biblical Christian writers)

No matter what your background in the study of theology, this course will provide a fresh approach to the identify of Jesus Christ that will reveal how the church has explored the unmeasurable depths of his person.

What you’ll learn

Recognize major people, places, and events of the Old and New Testament as related to the narratives of Israel and Jesus

Reflect on the mysteries of Christ

Examine the Church’s relationship to Christ

Explore religious questions through study of themes and selected biblical passages

Reflect on ways major biblical themes apply to modern life

Enroll here.

The Quest for the Historical Israel: Israel Finkelstein vs. Amihai Mazar

January 22, 2015 Deane Biblical Studies Topics, Conquest of Canaan, David Solomon Monarchy, Emergence of "Israel", Exodus, Wilderness Journey, Historical and Literary Contexts, Historicity of Ancient Israel and Judea, Israel and Judah, Patriarchs, Secondary, Video Amihai Mazar, Archaeology and the Bible, Brian Schmidt, Digging for the Truth, Harry Cook, Israel Finkelstein, Paula McNutt, Quest for the Historical Israel, Sherwin Wine, Solomon's Temple, When Did the Jewish People Begin?, Yaakov Malkin

In October 2005, the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism invited Israel Finkelstein and Amihai Mazar to speak on the historicity of ancient Israel. The proceedings of Colloquium ’05 were published by the Society of Biblical Literature as The Quest for the Historical Israel: Debating Archaeology and the History of Early Israel.

Videos of the lectures have now been made available on YouTube.

“Archaeology and the Bible” Israel Finkelstein

“Archaeology and the Bible” Amihai Mazar

“When Did the Jewish People Begin?” Israel Finkelstein

“When Did the Jewish People Begin?” Amihai Mazar

Colloquium Panel Response: When Did the Jewish People Begin?

“The Truth About Solomon’s Temple” Israel Finkelstein

“The Truth About Solomon’s Temple” Amihai Mazar

Colloquium Panel Response: Truth About Solomon’s Temple

“The Kingdoms of Israel And Judah” Israel Finkelstein

“The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah” Amihai Mazar

Colloquium Panel Response: Israel And Judah

“Patriarchs, Exodus, Conquest: Fact or Fiction?” Israel Finkelstein

“Patriarchs, Exodus, Conquest: Fact or Fiction?” Amihai Mazar

Colloquium Panel Response: Patriarchs, Exodus, Conquest

Colloquium Panel Response: Implications

Israel Finkelstein – Jacob M. Alkow Chair in the Archaeology of Israel in the Bronze and Iron Ages at Tel Aviv University, author of The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology’s New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts.

Amihai Mazar – Eleazar Sukenic Chair in the Archaeology of Israel ad Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Author ofArchaeology and the Land of the Bible.

Brian Schmidt (moderator) – Professor of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Author of Israel’s Beneficent Dead.

Harry Cook (panel) – Episcopal minister and journalist, former columnist for the Detroit Free Press, author of Christianity Beyond Creeds and Sermons of a Devoted Heretic.

Yaakov Malkin (panel) – Professor of aesthetics and rhetoric at Tel Aviv University, author of many works including Judaism Without God – Judaism as Culture, The Bible as Literature.

Paula McNutt (panel) – Professor of Religious Studies and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY.

Rabbi Sherwin Wine (panel) – founding rabbi of the Birmingham Temple and Humanistic Judaism, author of Judaism Beyond God and Staying Sane in a Crazy World.

Genesis: Origins of the Universe and Humankind

January 22, 2015 Deane Biblical Literature, Biblical Studies Topics, Creation, Exodus, Wilderness Journey, Genesis, Israel and Judah, Patriarchs, Primeval History, Secondary, Torah, Video Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Nili Wazana, Origins of the Universe and Humankind, Rachel Elior, Yair Zakovitch

The program title for the 73rd meeting of the Board of Governors of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was “Genesis: Origins of the Universe and Humankind”. The meeting involved professors from various disciplines within the university, including the following offerings from biblical scholarship:

Sunday June 6, 2010

Prof. Yair Zakovitch – From Creation to History (1:19:55)
Prof. Rachel Elior – Mystical Perspectives on Creation (1:50:20)

Tuesday June 8, 2010

Prof. Nili Wazana – Forever Outsiders: The Origins of Israel According to the Bible (1:08:05)

Daniel Fleming – “Ancient Israel”: An Introduction to the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible

January 16, 2014January 16, 2014 Deane Ancient Israel and Judea, Archaeology, Babylonian Exile, Biblical Literature, Conquest of Canaan, David Solomon Monarchy, Dead Sea Scrolls, Exodus, Wilderness Journey, Historical and Literary Contexts, Historicity of Ancient Israel and Judea, History and Stories, Israel and Judah, Online Courses, Online courses - Early Judaism / Old Testament - Hebrew Bible, Patriarchs, Persian Yehud, Prophets, Return from exile, Secondary, Syro-Palestinian texts, Torah, Video, Wisdom Ancient Israel, Daniel Fleming, Hebrew Bible Introduction, Old Testament Introduction

Professor Daniel Fleming, of New York University, presents an introductory course on the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible called “Ancient Israel“, which is available to view on 27 videos (on YouTube).