Go Deeper

*Available Remote or In Person

If you think Greco-Roman philosophy is irrelevant to the New Testament, think again. And if you think it is relevant, well just keep on thinking the way you’re thinking—because it is. Relevant. To ancient Greeks and Romans, Jesus probably looked very much like a wandering Cynic philosopher; Paul probably sounded like a Stoic; and his house-churches must have looked like little philosophical schools. The New Testament writers themselves interact with the views of Greek philosophers. Learn what the philosophers believed and why understanding them helps us understand the New Testament better. We’ll read the sources directly—Plato, Seneca, Epicurus, and more!

Is the Bible an answer to evil?? We will explore this ancient Christian notion. This exploration will require us to discover what the Bible says about evil and how the classical orthodox ways of speaking about God (for example, omnipotence) fit with popular images of God combating evil (Michael Heiser and others). Our text, The Theodicy of Love, is a student favorite.

Where is God in The Hobbit? What can this adventure teach us about the central doctrines of systematic theology? More than you might think! Exploring themes such as providence and luck, the Fall and the degradation of Gollum, Satan and dragons, and more, this course will read The Hobbit alongside Prof. Freeman’s recently released Tolkien Dogmatics to provide a fully-orbed view of J.R.R. Tolkien as a model of theological integration.