Biblical Exegesis (Serbian Orthodox Church)
The biblical text is one of the oldest expressions of faith and one of the foundations of Christian theology. However, precisely because it is an ancient text, it is often difficult to interpret, especially for an inexperienced reader, and therefore it is not enough to simply read it – the reader needs to understand it. To quote Jesus Christ: “Let the reader understand it” (Mark 13:14).
The purpose of this course is for participants to explore how to read and understand the Holy Scriptures of the Church. The course consists of weekly group lectures. Through these lectures, students will learn different methods of interpretation and how to apply them to the text. The aim of the course is that participants will learn how to responsibly read and interpret the bible, that they will understand its central message and major themes and that they will understand the value of the bible in the life of the Church and in their own lives.
During the course participants will focus on the most important themes (mostly following the biblical readings throughout the liturgical year) from the Old and New Testaments, discussing the theological explanations of their historical meanings, interrelations, and modern interpretations.
During this course, participants will explore what the Bible is, and what its role in the Church is. They will learn basic methods of interpretation (i.e. how to approach the text), how to read and understand the most commonly read Biblical passages as well as getting to know the history of biblical interpretation (Patristic and modern).
