If, as Fr. John Kavanaugh in Following Christ in A Consumer Society, “whatever informs us, forms us” then where Jews and Christians are getting much of their information about the meaning of being human and of life, what is important/valuable, “what life is all about”, matters. The Bible ought to be for Jewish and Christian communities central to the heritage that informs and shapes their perspectives, intellectual and spiritual lives, values, morality and social ethics, ways of life, attitudes, how they treat people and live in society, and the sort of persons they become. But not all encounters with the Bible are transformative, nor do they all shape Jewish and Christian thinking and living in ways that are coherent and compelling amidst the challenges and potentials of contemporary societies. This final assignment is about providing opportunities for ‘biblical literacy’ by envisioning encounters, and the communities’ ways of relating, with their sacred scriptures. It is about imagining opportunities that can offer can Jewish and Christian communities vibrant and fruitful ways of reconnecting with, and relating to, their biblical heritage.
Instructions:
- Envision and describe two or three ways your community can encounter (or re-encounter) the Bible, and relate to the Bible meaningfully (.5 page).
- Of the two or three, choose one and further expound on the experience, or event, ministry, opportunities, which you would design by yourself or as part of a team in your community to encourage and support meaningful and transformative encounters with the Bible. What would it involve, consist of? How would you promote it? Predict what results/fruit it would produce for participants and for the community in terms of the community’s identity, life, faith, and mission. What possible challenges could it face? How would you evaluate its results? (1 page)
Submission Instructions:
- The paper must be clear and concise, and students will lose points for improper grammar, punctuation, and misspelling.
- The paper is to be no shorter than 1.5 pages in length and no more than two pages in length. The student will automatically lose points if these limits are not followed.
- Journal articles and books should be referenced according to the current APA style (the library has a copy of the APA Manual).
- The work should be academic, written in an academic voice.
- In a separate document not less than 250 words, share some of your ideas that resulted from doing this assignment.
