Sophomores Delve into the “Inspired Word”
Major and minor Bible characters such as Shem, Jacob, Tabitha, and Ruth are coming alive for Upper School students these days.
At the start of the semester, each of the 16 sophomore students in the two newly launched semester-long Bible Seminar classes took on a modern or traditional Hebrew name, such as Oz, Mordecai, or Nava, as a first step in engaging with biblical life and times. Going deeper, they have since immersed themselves in research projects that examine “the Book of books” through a variety of lenses—history, literature, prophecy, cultural and religious symbolism, and inspired spirituality.
To their teacher’s delight—and their own—the students are discovering layer upon layer of meaning and relevance in Bible accounts that had, for some, become stale or trite over the years. Ora (Robyn), who is researching the story of Noah and the ark, confesses she had been lukewarm about “having” to take the class. (As of this academic year, it is a newly instituted requirement for all sophomores.)
“But it’s so different from what I expected . . . I love it!” Robyn exclaims. She is happily wrestling with the concepts of what made Noah receptive to the message of safety, what this implies about God’s nature, and what proof may be available that the ark existed. Yeshua (real name: Joshua) is researching the story of . . . who else? . . . Joshua. He discusses his insights into Joshua’s inspired leadership in the battle of Jericho with excitement, citing original Greek and Hebrew texts, drawing parallels with the symbols in the account of creation in Genesis 1, and referring to the writings of Mary Baker Eddy.
Making such connections is exactly the point of this class, explains teacher Veronica Kline, who was part of a School team that worked diligently for nearly two years determining whether and how to integrate this course into an already-full Upper School curriculum.
“The number one element the team would like students to gain is an abiding interest in, and appreciation for, the Bible,” Kline says. “And we want them to be able to speak about it knowledgeably,” with an understanding of its relevance to the daily living of Christian Science.
The semester-long course uses PowerBible (a software package with 22 Bible translations, 10 Bible dictionaries, 20 commentaries, and more), to help students delve into the original texts for a deeper understanding. A focus on the early chapters of Genesis and Job in the Old Testament is complemented by an examination of the writings of Paul and the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The course also covers the impact of Martin Luther and of King James and his appointed team of translators in producing the Bible that most of us know today.
One of the lessons that student Makena appreciates is how to uncover and understand the use of symbolism in the Bible, and not just take stories or teachings literally or at face value. Realizing that there are “other sides to the stories and other meanings” has been a helpful takeaway for her classmate Luke as well. Other stories or characters the students have analyzed for their midterm projects include Jacob and Esau; Jacob wrestling with the angel; Ruth and Naomi; David and Goliath; King Solomon; James and John; and Christ Jesus’ experience with the three temptations.