Covenant Class

Teacher:  Mark Biddle

Topic:  Church Polity, Biblical Theology, and Responsible Citizenship

Description: Dr. Biddle will examine whether some variety of Christianity ascribes to a suitable theology of government, review the Bible's disinterest in prescribing a form of government, and ultimately propose a basis in biblical theology for a positive Christian approach toward government.

Teacher: Mark Biddle

Topic:  The book of Philemon in the New Testament

Teacher:  Anna Ibrahim, Shalom Farms

Description: In this one-session class, representatives from Shalom Farms will discuss their mission and the challenges of food insecurity in the City of Richmond

Teacher:  Bruce Miller

Topic:  Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, and The Wisdom of Solomon

Description:  Speaking of Ecclesiastes, the great American author Thomas Wolfe said, "Of all I have ever seen or learned, that book seems to me the noblest, the wisest, and the most powerful expression of man's life upon this earth — and also the highest flower of poetry, eloquence, and truth." Best known for its opening passage ("' Meaningless! Meaningless!' says the Teacher. 'Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.'") and the lyrics to Pete Seeger's "Turn, Turn, Turn," ("To everything, there is a season…"), Ecclesiastes is among the most admired, disliked, short and confusing books in the Bible. In this series, we'll look at Ecclesiastes as it was known by Jesus, accompanied by Ecclesiasticus and The Wisdom of Solomon, two companion books cut from the reformed Bible by Martin Luther but still found in the Apocrypha. We'll also look at the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed by a scribe named Sin-legi-unninni, probably during the Middle Babylonian Period (c. 1600 – c. 1155 BCE), based on much older source material. The Gilgamesh was a root source/inspiration for much of Ecclesiastes and many other sections of the Old Testament.

Teacher:  Dr. Melissa A Jackson - chair of the board for Sophia Theological Seminary and member of the board of trustees at HopeTree Family Services (formerly known as Virginia Baptist Children's Home & Family Services)