Saint Matthew

The Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament in the Order They Were Written

Schedule:

•   Meets Weekly: Every Wednesday

•   Dates: Starts 1/14/2026

Description:

This 12-session class will cover the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament in a different way than how they are usually taught: Rather than reading in the order they appear in our current-day bibles, we will consider the stories in the order in which they first developed in oral tradition, how they were written down, and the process of becoming the Jewish canon. We will reframe the story in light of the traumatic history of the Jewish people and how their exiles influenced the writing, editing and coming together of their scripture. Understanding homelessness, loss of their Temple, and threatened lost identity is an important window into scriptural formation and also is a continuing theme in reading scripture today. As we come to understand the ongoing trauma of many peoples coming from countries suffering from colonialism including those in our own SGS community, we will read the Bible anew and as meaningful today as it was 2,000 years ago.

Handout: SGS-3 Course Description