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on-site courses at Tierra Nueva

The People's Seminary offers the following graduate-level courses at Tierra Nueva. Click the upcoming events link at right for more information about upcoming courses!

  •   Breaking the Chains: Resisting Structural and Personal Evil

This course will examine biblical, patristic and social perspectives on the nature of structural and personal sin together with approaches to resisting forces that oppress and enslave.

Those from various perspectives including immigrants, gang members, ex-offenders, social workers, employers, pastors, attorneys, drug and alcohol counselors, and probation officers will participate in the course.

  • Reading the Bible with the Damned: Shifting our Images of God

How do many inmates, immigrants, and gang members view God?  What are the barriers that keep the "damned" from hearing and believing the liberating Gospel message?

Tierra Nueva and the People’s Seminary invite you to participate in a course which examines popular, street-level images of God and of life on the margins, through interaction with immigrants and ex-offenders.

Together we will discuss the Biblical messages addressed to the poor and excluded, and effective ways to lead Bible studies, worship, and accompaniment with those often ignored by the church and our society.

  • Exodus and Liberation

This course will explore the dynamics oppression and liberation through a combination of systematic
overview of the entire book of Exodus, careful reading of key texts and continual discussion about the
relevance of this book for current situations of oppression. After a survey of the book of Exodus, the
instructor will guide students through in-depth study of select texts. Students will learn to make use of
diverse approaches to Biblical exegesis, (historical-critical, narrative, structural, theological, rabbinic).
How does Exodus depict God, human nature, mediation between God and humans, human response
(ethics)?

Special emphasis will be placed on developing an approach to the Scriptures that is
intellectually responsible, engaged with the real world and spiritually sensitive. The course is designed
to provide both knowledge, skills and experience that will help students better do the necessary work to
prepare for sermons, Bible studies and their own personal study.

  • Lift Up Your Voice

This course will provide a survey of the prophetic streams found within Scripture, in dialogue with
contemporary voices in the global church that emphasize various dimensions of the prophetic. This
course will seek clarity on how the Biblical prophets receive their call, hear God’s voice, communicate
God’s Word to God’s people and to the powers and deal with opposition. Included in this course will
be presentations and discussions on discerning between God’s voice and that of the “false prophets”,
the relationship between the Old Testament prophets and the work of Jesus and ministries of the
apostles.

Students will be helped to develop an understanding of the prophetic which includes “social
prophetic” concern like social advocacy on behalf of the marginalized and oppressed, resistance to the
powers, and “charismatic prophetic” practices like hearing and communicating words of knowledge for
encouragement and healing, “prophetic evangelism” and spiritual warfare.

  •  Genesis

The book of Genesis tells the story of the origins of the people of God, and the people’s account of God’s mysterious presence to create, save, call and guide. Learning to read Genesis is a training ground for reading God’s presence in our lives and times. The instructor will spend the first weeks lecturing on Genesis 1-11. This will be followed by segments on the Abraham, Jacob and Joseph cycles. Students will be exposed to diverse approaches to Biblical exegesis, (historical-critical, narrative, structural, rabbinic, psychoanalytic, etc....).

Special emphasis will be placed on developing an approach to the Scriptures that is intellectually responsible and contemplative while at the sametime being engaged with the world outside the comfortable confines of church and academy. Required readings will help students learn to intergrate careful exegesis, contempative reading and “street reading”. The course is designed to provide both knowledge, skills and experience that will help students better do the necessary work to prepare for sermons, Bible studies and their own personal study.

  •  Isaiah

  • Theory and Practice of Mission

off-site courses at your venue!

The People's Seminary would love to send a team to your church or school!  Below is a list of available offerings.  Please call us at 360-755-5299 for more information.

  •   Advocacy and Ministry of the Holy Spirit: Empowered to walk with people on the margins

A training course designed to inform and sensitize people desiring to serve the most vulnerable in our society, becoming empowered in the Spirit to advocate as Jesus did.

  •  Setting the Captives Free

Go deeper into God’s love and presence and into Jesus’ministry of deliverance to people oppressed by personal and structural evil. Jesus describes God as having sent him to proclaim release to the captives and to let the oppressed go free (Luke 4:18). In Acts 10:38, Peter summarizes Jesus’ ministry as he witnessed it: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power… he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

We want to see people (ourselves included) freed from forces like shame, fear, control, anger, abandonment, rejection, addictions, lust, and greed, as well as from indebtedness, criminal behavior, gang and national allegiances and other macro powers.

  •  Healing the Wounded Heart

Overcome wounds, blocks, and barriers so that we can experience more of God's love, presence, and power in our lives.

  •  Reading the Bible with the Damned: Shifting Images of God

A shortened version of the graduate-level course above.

  •  Hearing God's Voice for Personal and Social Transformation

for more information about courses through the People's Seminary, call 360-755-5299, or click on the upcoming events link at right.

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Tierra Nueva  •  PO Box 161, Burlington, WA 98233  •  360-755-0768  •  info@peoplesseminary.org