The Lay Academy of Theology offers non-credit evening classes and other study opportunities led by Beeson faculty for interested laity as well as ministers desiring continuing education.
Evening Courses
Finding Meaning in Life Despite Everything: A Study of Ecclesiastes
As the world seems to grow more unpredictable year by year, we can start to feel it is impossible to get ahead, impossible to turn a profit out of life. Where can we find meaning, when everything we put our hands to comes to nothing? The book of Ecclesiastes is a classic of world literature that offers a profound meditation on human finitude and the meaning of life that is as fresh today as it was in ancient Israel. It is, however, one of the most enigmatic and eccentric books in the Bible—how can we read it as Christians and what distinctive hope can it offer us? Join Alex Kirk in this six-week study that will explore a Christian interpretation of Ecclesiastes that focuses on how the book offers us meaning despite everything.
Alex Kirk (BA, University of Florida; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary; MA, The University of Toronto; PhD, Durham University) joined the faculty of Beeson Divinity School in 2024 to teach Old Testament and Hebrew after serving in global theological education for nearly a decade.
Schedule
Six Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m., beginning on Feb. 25, 2025.
Cost
$89 if attending on campus; $69 if participating virtually. Discounted rates expire on Feb. 18 - $115/$95 thereafter.
Jesus' Parables
Jesus' parables are treasured and familiar to many Christians and even non-Christians. Yet very few know that this was Jesus' primary method of teaching to the general crowd, and the intent was to call all people to a simple decision: either follow Jesus or face rejection in the coming kingdom of God. In this six-week course, Sydney Park will lead us through all 39 parables in the Gospels in order to understand more deeply Jesus' teachings on the kingdom of God, character of God and the corresponding character of His people.
Sydney Park (BA, University of Chicago; MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary; ThM, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; PhD, University of Aberdeen) joined the Beeson Divinity School faculty in 2006 and teaches biblical interpretation, New Testament theology, and Greek.
Schedule
Six Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. beginning on Feb. 26, 2025.
Cost
$89 if attending on campus; $69 if participating virtually. Discounted rates expire on Feb. 19 - $115/$95 thereafter.
Weekday Seminars
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Teaching and Illustrating Interpretation
The meaning of Scripture is “packaged” in various literary types that, sometimes, make it challenging to grasp the fullness of a particular passage. Under the leadership of Kenneth Mathews, participants in this class can expect to better understand the Bible by learning how to interpret biblical narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, Gospel and parables. Specific passages will be studied as case examples, and you can anticipate strengthening your ability to handle Scripture – for your personal study and in preparation for leading others.
Kenneth A. Mathews (BA, Dallas Baptist University; ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; MA, PhD, University of Michigan) teaches at Beeson Divinity School in the areas of Old Testament and Hebrew.
Schedule
Six Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m., beginning on Feb. 25, 2025.
Cost
$89 if attending on campus; $69 if participating virtually. Discounted rates expire on Feb. 18 - $115/$95 thereafter
Unlocking Revelation
Revelation is one of the Bible’s most exciting books with its whirlwind of colorful imagery, its symbolic numbers, its lake of fire and its thrilling landscape of the new creation. At the same time, it is perhaps the most difficult text in the Bible and host to a multitude of competing interpretations. Frank Thielman returns to help us better understand the mysteries of Revelation by exploring it in its original first century Roman context, reading it through the lens of the Old Testament and applying its powerful message to followers of the Lamb in our own time and place.
Frank Thielman (BA, Wheaton College; BA, MA, University of Cambridge; PhD, Duke University) teaches in multiple areas of the New Testament, Greek exegesis, Pauline theology, interpreting Romans and advanced Greek readings.
Schedule
Six Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m., beginning on Feb. 26, 2025.
Cost
$89 if attending on campus; $69 if participating virtuallly. Discounted rates expire on Feb. 21; $115/$95 thereafter.
Registration Options
There are three ways to register:
- Register Online (with Visa, Master Card, or Discover)
- Register by Mail (with credit card or check)
- Call (205) 726-2338 or (800) 888-8266 ext. 2338
