God’s Spokespeople: Introducing the Prophets of the Old Testament

An Open Enrolment Course

Thursday evenings, February 15th to March 14th, 2024, 7:00pm to 8:30pm

The prophets of the Old Testament offer some of the most compelling passages in all the Hebrew Scriptures. They promise a hopeful future, condemn an unjust status quo, and offer the reassurance of God’s presence, and judgment to God’s people in uncertain times. This course is an orientation to and overview of the diverse body of prophetic material in Scripture from historical, literary, cultural, and theological perspectives.

The course will examine the place of the Biblical prophets in both Judaism and Christianity (including their use in cycles of liturgical reading) and will explore key themes in individual prophetic books and in the Prophets generally. We will delve into some key topics for the historical-critical study of the Prophets, and some ways in which Jewish and Christian interpretations diverge regarding which books qualify as “prophetic” and how we should read some key passages. The influence of the Prophets on Christian liturgy, music and art will also be considered.

About the Instructor

Dr. Murray Watson is a lay Roman Catholic adult educator who has taught in a variety of settings. He has degrees from institutions in Ontario, the Vatican, and a doctorate from Trinity College Dublin in Biblical studies and interreligious dialogue. He currently works for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board as animator for Adult Formation and also teaches at Huron University in London.

Learn together!

We want to encourage people to learn together. You can join this course as an individual, but we also encourage you to gather with a friend or group in a parish hall, living room, or over Zoom to participate in and to discuss the class afterwards using the resources we provide. Whether you have three people or a dozen people gathered together, register as a group and the cost is the same. Group leaders will be given a Zoom link which they can distribute to their group members.

FEES

Regular: $90/person, $200/group

Friends of the College: 75$/person, $165/group

There will be a $25 late fee for anyone who registers after February 9th, 2024.

MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION

514-849-3004 Ext. 221
[email protected]

About Open Enrolment

Our open enrolment courses, workshops, and events equip students for life in a changing church. These courses are aimed at anyone who is interested in deepening their Christian faith and knowledge, and cultivating leadership skills in the church. There is no homework or written assignments. All you need is a desire to learn and a willingness to participate. To see our full list of open enrolment course offerings, follow the link: https://montrealdio.ca/our-courses/