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What exactly are we reading when we open the New Testament? If someone asked you to explain what the New Testament is, how would you respond? Our understanding of these two questions will strongly influence how we read and interpret the New Testament. This Study Day aims to offer participants some practical suggestions for understanding, reading and praying with the New Testament.
Session 1: Entering the New Testament. The New Testament is made up of many different writings created over about a century. In this session there will be a brief overview of these writings and participants will enter into the world that Jesus was born into. We will reflect on the historical context of the New Testament.
Session 2: The Gospels. What is a Gospel? How did the Gospels come to be written? Each of the Gospels is a unique telling of the story of Jesus, complete with its own theology and interpretation of events. We will look briefly at the main themes of each of the four gospels.
Session 3: The Life and Letters of Saint Paul. Reading the apostle Paul is a challenge. He has quite a reputation – most people love him or hate him. Ironically, their like or dislike is usually for the wrong reasons, but it's easy to misunderstand and to misread his letters. Modern Pauline scholarship tries to let Paul be Paul.
Session 4: The Book of Revelation. Often read as predictions of the end of the world, the Apocalypse (unveiling) is all about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Once the first followers knew that Jesus had risen from the dead, they knew the frames of reference they had always used were no longer valid. Prophecy in the context of Christian worship during the New Testament period was not about predicting the future but offering words of encouragement and admonition in the present.
Brian is a tutor in the theology stream. Originally from Birmingham, Brian studied philosophy and theology at the Gregorian University, Rome and later gained a Masters Degree in Franciscan Studies from St. Bonaventure’s University, New York. He has given retreats and courses throughout the UK and Ireland, North America, the Far East and Australia. He taught at the International Franciscan Study, Canterbury and at Campion House, Osterley before joining the Mount Street Jesuit Team when it began in 2004. Brian also taught at Heythrop College on the Foundation Degree in Pastoral Ministry. His particular interest is in opening up the Scriptures to people, young and old, at a level that they can understand and seek to apply to their daily lives. Brian is married to Deborah who works for CAFOD. They live in Buckinghamshire.
