Showing results by publisher "Learn25" in Religion & Spirituality

Matthew, Mark, and Luke seem to view Jesus "with the same eye" - hence the term Synoptic. Indeed, their narratival and linguistic similarities are so great that they likely shared a common source. Under the guidance of Fr. Felix Just, SJ (PhD, Yale University), you will explore the authorship of the Synoptic Gospels, exploring their fascinating history and curious differences.

With Zach Flanagin (PhD, University Chicago), you will study cutting-edge scholarship that reconstructs the historical Jesus. From The Da Vinci Code and Jesus Christ Superstar to the works of Thomas Jefferson and contemporary scholars, Prof. Flanagin merges popular with scholastic “portraits” for full effect.

In the summer of 1967, religious communities around the world were experiencing a time of renewal and reflection. As monasteries sought to adopt practices prescribed by the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI asked two Cistercian monks to compose a message about the contemplative life. Those monks in turn sought the contributions of a fellow monk and master of contemplation - Thomas Merton.

In this tour de force, the University of Oxford’s Dr. Tim Mawson turns a thoughtful eye to the questions about existence you have undoubtedly asked yourself. An expert on the philosophy of religion, Dr. Mawson combines wit with masterful scholarship to explain deep philosophical topics in an easy-to-understand yet erudite manner.

What do developments in biology, and genetics in particular, mean for theology? You couldn’t ask for a more qualified guide than Prof. Paul Scherz, who holds a PhD in genetics from Harvard and a PhD in theology from Notre Dame. A superb lecturer, he will help you answer some of the most pressing questions of our time.

Recorded in May of 1966 at at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, The Christian in the World contemplates the value of life on the premise that Christ died for a world he thought was worth dying for.

Hear Thomas Merton’s spiritually edifying voice. Originally recorded in August of 1965 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Greek Tragedy: Suffering Leads to Wisdom considers the parallels between ancient Greek models of suffering (with Sophocles’s play Antigone as an exponent) and Judeo-Christian ideas about suffering and the creation of meaning. This was among the last classes that Merton ever gave to the novice monks at Gethsemani.

The Gospel of Matthew was written at a tumultuous time: the Romans had just destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem and were slaughtering Christians. The gospel is thus entrenched both in Christianity’s Jewish heritage and the message of Jesus. In this talk, Fr. Just provides you with the necessary tools to interpret the Gospel of Matthew, giving you fascinating insights into its composition, parables, relationship to Mark, and much more.

The shortest and oldest of the four gospels, Mark was written in the earliest days of Christianity, when its adherents faced violent persecution. Against this backdrop, Mark provided a source of hope for the young church. With Fr. Felix Just, SJ (PhD, Yale University), as your guide, you will explore Mark's action-packed gospel, looking at its composition, history, and structure before turning to its salient literary features and key stories.

For 2,000 years, Christians have studied the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps no other individual has had such a wide-ranging and powerful impact on the history of the Western world. But deciphering the person of Jesus requires a firm understanding of history, culture, and language. In these lectures, you will gather and interpret evidence about Jesus’ life, exploring the New Testament, the oral tradition, issues of translation, archaeology, and accounts written during Jesus’ life.

Mark is a gospel of action, calling the first Christians to discipleship and encouraging them to have faith even amidst suffering and oppression. With Fr. Felix Just, SJ (PhD, Yale University), you will explore Mark’s vivid portrayal of Jesus and his disciples. You will also encounter minor Bartimaeus, the Syrophoenician woman, and Jairus - each of whom remains a powerful model of discipleship and faith in our time.

The Bible is not just one book but a whole library of books by different authors. In this lecture, Fr. Just situates the New Testament within its literary, historical, and theological context, helping you understand its mingling of genres and its relationship to the Old Testament. You'll study the formation of the canon, the languages used by the New Testament writers, and the order of the books. By learning how to interpret the key features of the New Testament, you will discover new depths in its ancient pages.

Originally recorded in July of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Eastern Gurus: Holiness, Discipleship, and the Mystical Heart puts forth a prayerful meditation of gurus and Jesus. Now You Know Media - through our exclusive partnership with the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center - is proud to offer a wide selection of archival recordings of Thomas Merton: a Trappist monk, great 20th-century mystic, and beloved author of the 1948 autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain.

Fr. Dan Crosby, OFM Cap., lived with and learned from Blessed Solanus Casey during the last year of Casey's life. Now Fr. Crosby shares his precious memories with you in this moving portrait of a holy and humble miracle worker.

The Spiritual Exercises is the greatest guide for discernment ever written. Five hundred years after its publication, it remains a vital resource for hundreds of retreat centers, schools, and religious congregations around the world. St. Ignatius' manual for spiritual growth has given guidance and joy to countless retreatants and learners. This 12 lecture course explores the exercises with fresh eyes.

One of the great works of medieval Europe, Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy translates the thought of the Middle Ages into a thrilling narrative. Seven centuries later it remains the most successful merger of theology and philosophy in epic poetry. In in this audio course, you'll gain a philosophical and literary understanding of Dante's masterpiece.

Let one of America's foremost liturgical scholars lead you to a deeper understanding of Catholic beliefs about mortality. If you are a pastor, or if someone in your life is sick or dying, this powerful course is for you. Over the course of our lives, we all mourn the losses of loved ones. We all, at the end, confront death. Despite its certainty, many regard mortality with fear and try to avoid these events. The Catholic Church instead faces this reality with hope, assuring men and women of their final destiny: to live with God forever.

Although he remains the most famous, Luther was by no means the first or last Christian reformer. Understanding his unique importance means situating him in the context of the larger story of church reform. Why did indulgences become the defining issue of the Protestant Reformation? This masterful nine-lecture audio course introduces you to Luther’s life, late-medieval theology and politics, and the ideas that sparked a revolution.

In this revelatory audio course, you will explore the full reality of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, our Lord and Savior. Each of the course’s 12 lectures illuminates different portraits of Jesus: a man and mystic, a preacher and servant, a prophet and incarnation of God. Under the guidance of award-winning teacher Fr. Donald Goergen, you will explore the human, historic Jesus, drawing out the contours of the man who lived among us.

Life During Jesus' Time transports you to the world that shaped Christianity. In 12 lectures, you will navigate the streets Jesus walked, enter the temples the disciples attended, and explore the sociopolitical context in which they lived. Fr. Collins, a renowned New Testament scholar, leads you on this journey with wisdom and wit.