Beginning Theology

Welcome to Beginning Theology! We are looking forward to having you on the course.

This is your module page for Bible Basics and the perfect course companion. This page will have any handouts, PowerPoints or audio from each session for you to catch up on.

If you have any questions, please email us at beginningtheology@stmellitus.ac.uk

From Genesis through to Revelation, we will unpack the Bible together over 8-weeks to give you the tools for getting the most out of scripture.

The Bible is famous for being the most shoplifted book in the world! It is made up of the Old and New Testaments and spans around 1500 years. It comprises 66 books (39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament). The Old Testament follows the story of ancient Israel, including stories of creation, moral codes, and the history of the Jewish people. The New Testament focuses on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the growth of the early Christian Church.

Overview: This session will give you a big-picture overview of the whole of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation and from Creation to New Creation. We will mention all 66 books in a fast-paced whistle-stop tour and discover how it all points to Jesus.

Click here for the handout

Click here for the PowerPoint slides

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• How to Read the Bible for all its Worth by Gordon Fee
• The Bible Book by Book by Cris Rogers

Overview: This session will explore what the Bible is as a library of books with different genres and consider the importance of its historical particularity. It will also explore how we understand it to be inspired and authoritative, and offer some tools for helping us to read, interpret and apply it.

Click here for the PowerPoint

Click here for the handout

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Gordon Fee How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth (2014)
• Amy Orr-Ewing Why Trust the Bible? Answers to 10 Tough Questions (2020)

Overview: This session will cover the first five books of the Bible, often called the Pentateuch or the Torah. This is the story that starts at the very beginning of creation in Genesis and then turns to the story of God’s salvation, particularly with the calling of Abraham. At the end of Genesis, we’ll turn to the next major movement in God’s salvation, which comes through Moses and the Israelites in the Exodus from Egypt. Throughout the evening, we’ll highlight some of the main themes as we move from creation to the patriarchs and the life of Moses and particularly God’s plan for his people Israel.

Click here for the PowerPoint Slides

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Mark Scarlata, A Journey through the World of Leviticus: Holiness, Sacrifice, and the Rock Badger, (2021)
• Walter Brueggemann, An Introduction to the Old Testament: Canon and Christian Imagination (2003)
• Brent Strawn, The Old Testament: A Concise Introduction (New York: Routledge, 2020)

Overview: This session will consider the Book of Psalms in the light of Christ. We will explore how the Psalms bring us to God as we are and then reorient us, helping us to move through lament to hope and worship.

Click here for the PowerPoint

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Brueggemann, Walter, and Walter Brueggemann. The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Augsburg Old Testament Studies. Minneapolis, Minn: Augsburg Publ. House, 1984.
• Wright, Tom. Finding God in the Psalms: Sing, Pray, Live. SPCK Publishing, 2014.

Focus: Overview of the Prophets and the role of prophecy today.

Overview: Who were the biblical prophets and why were they important? This session will explore the importance of prophecy in biblical times through the lens of the major and minor prophets. We will also explore the importance of prophecy today.

Click here for the handout

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Heschel, Abraham. The Prophets. New York, NY: Harper Collins, 2001.
• Brueggemann, Walter. Prophetic Imagination: 40th Anniversary Edition. Fortress Press; Anniversary Edition, 2018.Prophetic Imagination: 40th Anniversary Edition. Fortress Press, 2018.

Overview: Why do we have four gospels? This session will give you an overview of the four Gospels in the New Testament … exploring what is similar and different in each of them and how each offers a distinctive view of Jesus.

Click here for the PowerPoint slide

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Adams, Edward, Parallel Lives of Jesus: Four Gospels - One Story. London: SPCK, 2011
• Burridge, Richard, Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading. Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1994

Overview: This session will focus on Paul as a theologian and missionary, giving a brief introduction to his letters. We will explore his life, his perspective and his world in order to help us understand and make sense of his letters.

Click here for the PowerPoint slide

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Paul: A Biography by Tom Wright (2020)
• Reading Paul by Michael J. Gorman (2008)

Overview: The book of Revelation is often one of the most misinterpreted in scripture. It is a book written for The Seven Churches who were facing persecution. The book is full of images and visions that point to Jesus. We will unpack the setting and themes of Revelation to give you a deeper understanding of how Christians can engage with this book.

Click here for the handout

If you’ve enjoyed this session and would like to continue your learning, we recommend the following books:

• Bauckham, R. The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Cambridge: CUP, 1993) = best for theological themes
• Koester, C.R. Revelation: A New Translation with Commentary, AYB vol. 38A (Yale: YUP, 2014)