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In this study day we will explore the Apostle Paul, and the theological vision that we find in his letters. All sorts of issues emerge once we start doing this: how did Paul understand himself, as an apostle, given that he almost certainly never met the earthly Jesus? How did he understand God's involvement in history, and in revelation? Who is Christ, for Paul, and what does it mean for believers to be 'in Christ'; what does it mean for Christ to be 'in us'? We will also need to look at how Paul understood the calling of Christian communities, and what he expected of Christ-followers in those communities (in other words, his ethics).
You will have opportunity to study key passages from Paul's letters; to consider some of the issues and approaches in the contemporary study of Paul; and to consider our own response to Christ, in the light of Paul's thought.
Session 1: 'Paul and his world.' A brief introduction of the different worlds Paul inhabited and the Jewish apocalyptic framework of his theology.
Session 2: ' Who is Jesus Christ?' We will explore Paul's understanding of who Jesus Christ was and what he has done.
Session 3: ' Life in Christ: Exploring Paul's ethics.' How does Paul call his communities to living an ethical life as followers of Christ?
Session 4: ' Contemporary interpretations.' We will briefly consider feminist, liberation and political interpretations of Paul's letters and ask how his writings are relevant to us today.
Josette is a member of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She works as a spiritual director at Loreto Spirituality Centre, in Llandudno. She researched in New Testament studies as a postgraduate at the University of Cambridge.
