Beginning February 7 the St. Nicholas Adult Ed class will explore the Old Testament with the help of a video series featuring Professor Amy-Jill Levine.

The Old Testament, or Tanakh, was written in ancient Israel over 1,000 years by many authors. What can this book teach us about the ancient Israelites? What does our faith find in new scholarly understanding? As scripture or as the most influential piece of literature ever written, this book is a source of constant wonder, inspiration, and intrigue. It is cited on the floor of the Senate and from the bench in the courtroom. Contemporary politics is inextricably intertwined with it, from conflict in the Middle East to the claim by many in the United States that a return to "biblical values" is warranted.

The Bible influenced the Pilgrims to leave England in the 17th century; it inspired the founders of the new republic in the 18th; it roused both slave and abolitionist to seek a new Moses and sponsor a new Exodus in the 19th and the Jews to establish a homeland in the 20th. It has meant more to more people than any other book in history. The influence of ancient Israel's religious and national literature is evident in everything from medieval mystery plays to modern novels, art, music, theater, film, and dance.

Amy-Jill Levine is a Professor of New Testament Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School. Prior to taking her position at Vanderbilt, Professor Levine was Chair of the Department of Religion at Swarthmore College. She was a frequent speaker in the Living the Questions video series used by the Adult Ed group in 2008.

Adult Ed meets from 9:15 to 10:15 every Sunday in the Fireplace Room. The discussion is lively and the atmosphere is friendly. You are all invited to join us