Classroom in the Community

My seminary class (Basics of Biblical Exegesis) consists of two sessions a week. The more traditional session is on Saturday morning from 8 AM to 11.30. This is part lecture (powerpoint, white board, copied notes etc), part discussion and mostly "hands on" exegesis. This Saturday the class will show me their exegetical and theological outlines of Acts 1.1-11 and then we will work through the passage together. Then we will discuss the methods for interpreting biblical narrative and will work together in class through Genesis 22.1-19 and Luke 2.1-20. Then I will turn them loose on Genesis 13.5-18 for homework and see what they come up with. In the class we are trying to emphasize "doing exegesis" over talking about it.

The 2nd component is the weekly discussion on the class textbooks which takes place at different times and in different places. We have met at my house and in my office for discussion, but yesterday we met at the IP Coffee House near the University of Guam for a discussion of Eat This Book - A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading by Eugene Peterson. It was a little loud with the coffee grinding and the people at the surrounding tables in their own conversations, but we had a great discussion. I think the students feel more free to express themselves in that kind of environment. I am trying to model a way that our students can be teaching in their churches when they graduate. I am hoping that our seminary grads will be able to raise the intellectual and theological bar in their churches without intimidating anyone. I also receive the tremendous benefit of hearing the insights from the book from our students' different perspectives.