Weekly Adult Education Series
for Christians and Seekers

Slow Religion/Scenes from Luke-Acts

St. Luke,
Giorgio Vasari (artist) Florentine,
1511 - 1574

Zoom Link

The class is offered weekly on Zoom.  
Tuesday 4-5 PM PT
 

Class Description

Slow Religion/Scenes from Luke-Acts is a lay person-led, adult education weekly series for Christians and seekers. The class is a slow and careful reading of the Gospel, it considers a range of commentaries, tries to understand the cultural, historical, and religious contexts and how to apply them today.

Why Luke-Acts?

Unlike the other Gospels, Mark, Matthew and John, Luke-Acts is written as a two volume work by the same author. It includes the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in Luke and then covers the establishment and growth of what will become the church in Acts.

What to expect

Each week’s attendees are provided an outline and overview readings for a chapter or section of a chapter. (See links below under Classes and Materials.) Reading the chapter is sufficient, reading the overview provides a deeper context for the class.

Class Structure

Each class is one hour and consists of:
  • Opening Prayer
  • Read the appointed scripture  
  • Brief discussion: What stands out to you?
  • Joe’s overview (20 Minutes)
  • Moderated Discussion (20 minutes)
  • Closing prayer
2023 Class Schedule
Introduction to Luke-Acts, Oct. 3
The Nativity Story (Luke 1-2), Oct 10 
Jesus’ First Sermon (Luke 4:14-30), Oct 17 
The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Oct 24
Pentecost and the Early Movement, (Acts 2), Oct 31
Conversion of Cornelius and Mission to Gentiles (Acts 10:1-11:18), Nov 7 
Paul in Acts (Acts 9:1-19, 13:16-52, and 28:23-31), Nov 14
Sermon on the Plain/Luke-Acts in the 21st Century (Luke 6:20-48), Nov. 21
 

Bibliography

Publications
Attridge, Harold W., The Harper Collins Study Bible, NRSV, 1989
Barton and Muddiman Editors, Erik Franklin, Luke Contributor, Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001
Borg, Marcus J., John Dominic Crossan, “The First Christmas, What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth”, Harper One, 2007
Brown, Raymond E., S.S., An Introduction to the New Testament, 1997
Dodd, C.H., The Parables of the Kingdom, Charles Scribner’s Sons; Ed. 3, 1958
Edwards, James R., The Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Gospel According to Luke, 2015
Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J. The Acts of the Apostles, The Anchor Yale Bible Series, Vol 31, 1998
Fitzmyer, Joseph A., S.J. The Gospel According to Luke, The Anchor Yale Bible Series, Vols 1-2, Second Edition, 1981
Gelpi, Donald, The Spirit in the World, Zacchaeus Studies: Theology, Michael Glaiser, Inc., 1988
Lemcio, Eugene E., The Way of the Lord: Plotting St. Luke’s Itinerary, A Pedagogical Aid, Wipf & Stock, 2020
Levine, Amy-Jill, and Marc Zvi Brettler Editors, The Jewish Annotated Bible, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2011, 2017
Manson, W.J. “The Parable of the Good Samaritan” (1936-37)
Mills, Watson E., Mercer Dictionary of the Bible, Mercer University Press, 1990
National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, The Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition, 2021
Nienhuis, David R., A Concise Guide to Reading the New Testament, Baker Academic, 2018
Wall, Robert W., and Eugene E. Lemcio, The New Testament as Canon, A Reader in Canonical Criticism, JSOT Press, 1992
Wall, Robert W., and David R. Nienhuis (editors), A Complete Guide to the Whole Bible, Baker Academic, 2015
Wright, N.T., Luke for Everyone, SPCK Publishing, 2001
Wright, N.T., Paul: A Biography, Harper One, 2018
Videos
New Testament History and Literature, Martin, Dale B., Woolsey Professor of Religious Studies, Yale University

Slow Religion (c) 2023