Here are our Spring 2013 classes, beginning in April.
TOXIC CHARITY: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help
Convened by Marla Finch, Brian Finch, and Bob Ryder
Five Sunday Mornings, April 7 – May 5, 2013
Reading veteran urban activist minister Robert Lupton’s book Toxic Charity was a mind opening experience for those in the fall discussion group. For instance, Lupton states, “Giving to those in need what they could be gaining from their own initiative may well be the kindest way to destroy people.” Although this is not a brand new concept to NCC-comers, you will gain new perspective as the author tells us how charity can be transformative and gives live examples. Please join the Sunday morning adult education group to discuss this easy to read, but unsettling book.
MISQUOTING JESUS: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why
Convened by Tom Sullivan
Seven Tuesday Evenings, April 2 to May 14
For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand – and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself are the results of both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes. In this compelling and fascinating book, Ehrman shows where and why changes were made in our earliest surviving manuscripts, explaining for the first time how the many variations of our cherished biblical stories came to be, and why only certain versions of the stories qualify for publication in the Bibles we read today.