THE FREDERICK

SCHOOL OF RELIGION

Learning for Life

 

 

 

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2008  Course and Teacher Information

 

1 Basic Judaism

Mondays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

This course introduces the concepts, laws, rituals

and practices that form the core of Judaism. Topics

include Shabbat, Dietary Laws, Festivals and

Holidays, Life Cycle Rituals, Prayers and Blessings,

Ritual Objects and Pivotal Events in Jewish History.

Students will learn key Hebrew language related to

each topic.

Pauline Horn holds a Master of Judaic Studies

from the Siegel College of Jewish Studies. Pauline is the

Executive Director of Beth Sholom Congregation and

Director of the Beth Sholom Hebrew School. SCHEDULE

2 Bibliodrama: Bible Study

as Sacred Play

Mondays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

 Pieces missing in Biblical stories invite imagination

into scripture. Bibliodrama invites us to speak spontaneously

as characters within the scriptures, illuminating new

facets of timeless stories and discovering fresh

insights. Educators, clergy and lovers of stories will

experience and learn techniques applicable to all age

groups. Participants often say,“The Bible will never be

the same again!”

Arlene Kiely, MTS, a graduate of Wesley

Seminary, has led and taught Bibliodrama for many

years.  SCHEDULE

3 Lay Reading

Mondays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

This course in oral reading is designed for lay readers.

We will consider how sacred texts can be enhanced for

the worshipper through interpretation and technique.

We will employ the stated lessons for the Lent and

early Easter Season as we practice how, in the context

of worship, scripture may be read expressively.

Rev. Dr. George Paul Mocko received an S.T.M.

degree from Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary and the

D.D. from Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. He served

parishes in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland

before being elected Bishop of the Delaware/Maryland

Synod, ELCA.  SCHEDULE

4 Fruit of Blessing, Root of Evil:

Money in the Life of Faith

Mondays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

Sacred scripture addresses money frequently, but

interpreters have by no means provided a consistent

message. Some have celebrated wealth as a sign of

divine blessing, while others have insisted that faith

demands near-poverty. This course looks at money

from several perspectives: the scriptural record; a

selected review of traditional thought; and some contemporary

contributions. The course raises the question:

What is an acceptable understanding of money’s

role for persons seeking a life of faith?

Scott A. Huber received his Ph.D. in Moral

Theology from The Catholic University of America. He

holds Masters from Princeton Seminary and from

Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary. He has served as an

adjunct professor of moral theology at Catholic

University, and as a managerial accountant for three corporations.

SCHEDULE

5  Handel’s Messiah – Prophetic

Message and Profound Music

Mondays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

From the premiere of “Messiah” in 1742, Handel’s

genius at creating music to express the meaning and

emotion of the words is widely acknowledged. But

before Handel could set the words they had to be carefully

chosen from the scriptures by librettist Charles

Jennens. Jennens’ libretto, Handel’s music and the masterful

result of their fusion serve as the topics of this course.

Wayne L. Wold is Associate Professor of Music and

College Organist at Hood College and an active lecturer, composer,

performer and author. He holds a Master of Sacred

Music from Wittenberg University and the Doctor of

Musical Arts from Shenandoah University. SCHEDULE

6  Rediscovering Lost Christianities

Mondays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

Much thinking, theology, literature and sacred writings

in the early Christian church were lost by choice, by

fate, and by forces that sought to bury them. We will

review early Christianity as a sect of Judaism and deal

with the highly influential forms of Christianity – the

Ebionites, the Marcionites and the Gnostics – leading to

the set of beliefs that became dominant in the 4th century.

Our main emphasis will be on the personalities,

sacred texts and writings of these early groups.

Rev. Dr. Raymond Moreland is a United Methodist

Minister and Executive Director of the Maryland Bible

Society. He received Masters from Wesley Seminary and

from St. Mary’s Seminary, and his Ph.D. from the

Graduate Theological Foundation.  SCHEDULE

7 Presidential Politics and

Church/State Separation

Tuesdays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

This course will explore the many issues regarding the

separation of church and state in presidential politics. It

will be an exciting and interesting study of these issues

in the growing complexity of politics and government.

The use and misuse of religion by politicians and vice versa

will also be explored.

Rev. Dr. Andrew L. Gunn is a retired Methodist

minister and a graduate of Oberlin College, Yale Divinity

School and Pacific Western University. He has held

numerous positions of leadership dealing with the role of

the Church in politics, including editor of “Church and

State.”  SCHEDULE

8  Good and Evil

Tuesdays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Are Good and Evil merely tags we place on things we

like or dislike, or do they represent essential parts of

the universe or of God? We will explore this topic from

the perspective of the Bible, theology, philosophy and

contemporary thought. Two great writers, Bernard of

Clairvaux and Friedrich Nietzsche, will provide perspective

on the contemporary “collision” between

Christian and non-Christian thoughts on good and evil.

Video will provide the existential experiencing of the

“face” of evil, as we wrestle with our responses to that “face.”

Michael O’Donnell holds Masters from Fuller

Seminary and Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary, where his

focus was on the theological study of Good and Evil. He

combines a dental practice with teaching on a variety of

topics in the Lutheran community.  SCHEDULE

9A  Psalms Singing, Proverbs and Job

Tuesdays, 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Psalms reflected David’s heart and his soul’s yearning

as he tried to walk before God in every aspect of his

public and private life. Today these Psalms serve to lift

up to God the emotions of all those who seek Him, to

bring enlightenment and strength, and to inspire them

to show self-sacrificing devotion in their conduct on

earth.We will add Proverbs and Job to our study.

Rabbi Morris Kosman has been the spiritual leader

of Beth Sholom Congregation in Frederick for over 40

years. Rabbi Kosman is a graduate of Baltimore Hebrew

College and trained at the Rabbinical College in Telshe. SCHEDULE

9B  Psalms Singing, Proverbs and Job

Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

See 9A for a description of this course.

10 Deepening our Spiritual Lives

Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

Most of us wish we could deepen our lives with God,

but we are wary of trying to fit anything more into our

overfilled days, and suspicious of practices that threaten

to become ends in themselves. This class introduces

several “spiritual disciplines” of Christian life — meditation,

prayer, study, solitude, dream interpretation and

service. It will help participants learn how to deepen

their lives by integrating these disciplines into their

daily living.

Rev. Dr. Elsabeth Hilke received her M.A. and

Ph.D. from Yale University, where she focused on

History of Christian Doctrine and on Theology. She has

taught at Hood College and Frederick Community

College, and is Pastor of Grace Trinity United Church of

Christ.  SCHEDULE

11 Introduction to Islamic

Spirituality, Shari’ah Law and

Ethics

Tuesdays, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

After surveying Islamic beliefs, this course focuses on

their expression in ethics, law and jurisprudence; family,

social and political structures; philosophy,mysticism,

and arts. The course explores similarities and differences

Islam has with spirituality in both Christianity

and Judaism. The course will investigate the way

Muslims interpret law and whether this law is inherently

violent or otherwise. It will also compare US law and

human values with Islamic values hoping to see how

they relate to each other.

Imam Yahya Hendi is the Muslim chaplain at

Georgetown University and is also the Imam of the

Islamic Society of Frederick. He serves as a member and

the spokesperson of the Islamic Jurisprudence Council

of North America. Imam Hendi’s Master’s and Ph.D.

degrees are in comparative religion with focus on

Christianity and Judaism. His website is at

www.imamyahyahendi.com SCHEDULE