Adult Education

Our spiritual selves change and grow throughout our lives, and we provide a variety of opportunities to support and encourage this growth.  Here are some winter/spring offerings for 2013.

Wednesday Morning Series: Emergence Christianity

Wednesdays at 10:00am from April 10 through May 29th 

Join us for an 8-week reading of Brian McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy and a discussion of where he – and we – stand in the big picture of Christian theology and practice. Rev. Hannah Brown will facilitate.
  

Exploring Gnostic Texts:  An Introduction

Sunday, April 14, at 11:00 a.m.

How did the Bible come to be the Bible? Why were some books included and others excluded? Why were some ancient Christian books declared to be illegal by the Church? In this forum we will discuss these questions, and read from some “illegal” Christian books, known as the Gnostic texts. Brad Bannon, a member of West Concord Union Church, is studying comparative theology at Harvard Divinity School and is a candidate for ordination in the United Church of Christ.

Understanding Islam

Sunday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m.

How can we understand the conflicts that arise when Islamist extremist groups seek to operate within their wider religious communities, and how these groups attempt to link with their more moderate fellow Muslims?  What are effective response strategies? The Rev. Dr. David Steele, a member of WCUC, has done extensive work for the United States and other governments in Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding, and Inter-faith Dialogue. He is currently an Adjunct Lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. 

Exploring Gnostic Texts:  The Gospel of Truth

Sunday, May 19, at 11:00 a.m

In this forum, we will discuss The Gospel of Truth, an "illegal" or non-canonical Christian text. Brad Bannon, a member of West Concord Union Church, is studying comparative theology at Harvard Divinity School and is a candidate for ordination in the United Church of Christ.

Exploring Gnostic Texts:  The Gospel of Mary Magdala

Sunday, June 2, at 11:00 a.m.

Who was Mary Magdalene? She was a woman who stood by the cross and the tomb; a woman who witnesses the resurrection; a wealthy, independent woman; a woman healed. This is what we know about her from the canonical gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But a Gnostic text, the Gospel of Mary Magdala, opens a new window into the life and ministry of this woman. The Rev. Polly Jenkins Man, UCC, has taught several courses on the Gnostic gospels through Concord-Carlisle Adult Education, concentrating in an examination of Mary Magdalene.