Course Description

This class can be taken in-person only. There is no online section.

Dates: Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30pm, September 9 - November 11

Location: 3901 Normal Blvd, Suite 101, Lincoln, NE


The second of two Foundations in Biblical Study courses, this study will build on the concepts developed in Part I: Introduction to the Bible, and will press further into questions of biblical interpretation. It will move from theory to practice, from guiding principles to their application in the actual task of discerning the meaning and message of biblical texts. If the previous course provided the groundwork for reading, studying, praying, living, and proclaiming the Sacred Scriptures, this course aims to equip us with the tools for doing exactly that.

Adopting the analogy of a construction project, each of the four parts to this course will address a topic related to the study and interpretation of the Bible. Part One, Approaching the Interpretive Task, will focus on defining the task, clearing the work site, and identifying the workers. Part Two, Knowing the Building Code, will define the principles of hermeneutics and interpretive criteria. Part Three, Developing a Plan, will sketch a construction model for the interpretive task. Finally, Part Four, Attacking the Project, will offer a guided apprenticeship through various parts of Scripture by implementing the plan in selected passages.

This is a learn-how-to-do-it course for those who wish to grow in their ability to study Scripture as faithful Catholics.

 


Registration Options

This class can be taken in-person only. Clergy and members of religious orders may select the discounted registration option.

Instructor

President

Dr. Vern Steiner

Prior to entering the Catholic Church in 2015, Vern enjoyed a long career as an evangelical protestant pastor, seminary professor, and founder and president of a Bible institute. His teaching specializations include biblical introduction and interpretation, languages and exegesis, and exposition and theology. He focused on Bible, History, and Philosophy in his undergraduate studies; he holds masters degrees in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Literature; and he earned his Ph.D. in Exegetical Theology. Vern has authored a number of published and unpublished materials at both general and technical levels. When he is not in his study, he enjoys watching sports, woodworking, and especially spending time with his wife Carol, their two married children, and their ten grandchildren.