Making Sense of the Bible invites us to think together about how we approach a document that people of faith hold as a sacred text. Many of us have been urged to read the bible, but very often we don’t know the background of what we are reading or how to understand what is being said. This class hopes to offer insight into approaches for better connecting with and interpreting the story of God’s relationship with humanity.

The class will meet on Sundays at 3 p.m. via Zoom beginning on March 2, 2025, and continuing weekly until April 6, 2025. Here’s the proposed schedule for the sessions:

• March 2 — How Do We Know What We Know?
  Thinking about the philosophy of knowledge and the United Methodist Approach to interpretation
  Click here to download the handout for Session 1
• March 9 — The Source of Christian Understanding — Biblical Authority and Canonization
  Where does the Bible come from and how do we understand it as an authority in our lives?
• March 16 — Reading the Bible with New Eyes
  Unpacking translations and versions of the Bible
• March 23 — An Exegetical Approach to Study
  Using Bible Dictionaries, Commentaries, and other resources to understand the Biblical context
• March 30 — A Reflective Approach to Study
  Using various methods of connecting the scriptural text to your personal life
• April 6 — A Contemplative Approach to the Scriptures
  Learning to Meditate on the Scriptures (Lectio Divina)

The class sessions will be approximately an hour in length.