Jewish Backgrounds Online

Jewish Backgrounds to Early Christianity, a course I get to teach every second year, is being offered this fall through Briercrest Seminary with an online option. As with Hebrew, most students in this hybrid course will be in person. Online students will join the rest of the class over Zoom (Tues / Thurs 12:25-1:40 pm CST).

Here is the calendar course description: 

An introduction to the history, literature, and thought of early Judaism (from 300 BCE to 200 CE). This course highlights the Jewish origins of Christianity, illuminates the thought world of Jesus and his Jewish contemporaries, and explores the reasons for the eventual “parting of ways” between Judaism and Christianity.

If you have ever wanted to know about ancient Jewish texts that didn’t make it into the Protestant canon or wondered what happened during the so-called “400-silent years,” the course may be of interest.

 A copy of the syllabus is available at this link.