Dr Jayme Reaves is leading the new Exploring Theology course, successor to Theology, Quest and Questions, which began with in September 2019, on the Hebrew Bible. Student feedback has been glowing – here’s a sample.
What have you most enjoyed about this term of Exploring Theology?
- Learning so much about the ancient Israelite people and their literary styles.
- Getting out for some intellectual stimulation.
- Getting to know more about who God is and asking questions of the writings in a way I haven’t done before. Exploring what I really believe is a big step forward.
- Jayme’s enthusiasm for her subject.
- I like the format – some teaching and then time to be a bit more involved with the material in the second half.
- Hearing different views and discussing them.
- Being with the other students again.
- Rethinking past study.
- Detailed textual criticism.
- Jayme has a gift for making the Hebrew Bible relational, relevant and accessible.
- The pace of the lectures was fast but just what you needed at the end of a busy day to stay engaged.
- I have grown in knowledge of the Hebrew bible.
- Reading and learning about the old testament. Seeing it as a book in its own right, rather than how it relates to Christians.
- Looking at the contents from a completely new perspective, as the Hebrew Bible, and finding themes I had never encountered before.
- Seeing the OT as firstly a Jewish sacred text and considering what that means for Christians.
- The balance between presentation and discussion.
- Reading the Hebrew Bible through a Jewish lens, rather than the more common (among us Christians) Jesus lens.
- Engaging with Hebrew Bible.
- The commonsensical and fun approach to these writings.
- Rare chance to look at big picture of Hebrew Bible. Huge surveys + close attention to texts. Jaime’s excitement about scripture.
- Without doubt it was looking at the OT from a Jewish perspective, and valuing the Hebrew Bible as a sacred text to be approached fro the perspective of what it meant to followers of the Jewish faith.
- The scholarly approach, giving a really good overview of the whole HB, not patronising to us hobbyist theologians! Open enquiry, not hidebound to supporting a particular view point.
- Very engaging presentation style from Jayme. The opportunity to engage in discussions with the group without derailing the teaching content.
- Getting behind the parts of the Old Testament which I think I know or take for granted.
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