Past Classes

Themes in the Gospel of Luke, taught by Dr. Eunyung Lim This class explores a set of main themes and key passages in the Gospel of Luke, aiming to contextualize them in our contemporary context as we prepare for Year C this fall. Focusing on stories about women, children, and social outcasts, we will learn … Read more

Intersectionality Taught by Dr. Linda Thomas, Full Professor of Theology and Anthropology at Lutheran School of Theology Chicago The concept of Intersectionality considers overlapping oppressions, such as race, class, gender, sexuality, ableism, and many other things, as they are experienced and suffered by marginalized persons.   This concept is a vital tool to name multiple, intersecting … Read more

Lutheran ConfessionsTaught by Dr. Chris Repp, Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church in Champaign, IL Registration: $75 to audit Registration: $150 to meet PMA or SAM requirements. What we believe about God affects how we talk about God. How we talk about God determines whether we proclaim the gospel or some other message that is not faithful … Read more

Womanist Musings on Faith, Democracy and #BlackLivesMatter for the ChurchTaught by Dr Linda Thomas, Full Professor of Theology and Anthropology via Zoom. Dr. Thomas will make presentations on three topics of interest in our Public Church series: October 23 Faith and Democracy November 6 Black Embodiment Over and Against White Supremacy November 13 Theological Education … Read more

Stand Your Ground Bible Study – An Introduction to Womanist Theology Registration Closed This study is an introduction to Womanist theology, a way of understanding God and the Bible from the experiences of Black women in the United States. We will discuss this theological movement’s origins, its commitments to justice for Black women (as well … Read more

Jesus and the Gospels, taught by Dr. Fred Niedner The early Christians took four “gospels” that tell Jesus’ story into their canon and almost immediately struggled with “harmonizing” them. Still today, some attempt to force these four voices into a single melodic line of the sort some of us remember hearing read every year during … Read more

2021“I Was Hungry and You Gave Me Food” (Matthew 25:35): Addressing Hunger and Food Insecurity in the USA and the World, taught by Dr. Clint McCann. Hunger and food insecurity continue to be issues facing the world, including the USA. Even though there is enough food for the entire human population, nearly 700 million people … Read more

PM-92 Saturday, January 16, 2021, 9:00 – 11:00 AM CST by Zoom Environmental writer and activist Bill McKibben concludes that “environmental devastation stands as the single great crisis of our time, surpassing and encompassing all others” (The Comforting Whirlwind: God, Job, and the Scale of Creation, p. 15). After reminding ourselves of the major dimensions … Read more