Showing results by author "David Z. Flanagin" in All Categories

Jesus was a figure thoroughly grounded in the religious traditions of Judaism, and his Jewish context illuminates his mission and ministry. Two millennia after the death of Jesus of Nazareth, the story of his life and teachings continues to compel scholars and the faithful alike to seek more information about him as a person - living in a particular place at a particular time.

For nearly 2,000 years, Christians have followed the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, called Messiah or Christ in the New Testament. Indeed, no other person has had such a wide-ranging and powerful impact on the history of the Western world. This has compelled scholars and the faithful alike to undertake the quest for knowledge about his life. Now, you too can take this quest.

Although he remains the most famous, Luther was by no means the first or last Christian reformer. Understanding his unique importance means situating him in the context of the larger story of church reform. Why did indulgences become the defining issue of the Protestant Reformation? This masterful nine-lecture audio course introduces you to Luther’s life, late-medieval theology and politics, and the ideas that sparked a revolution.

"Thy kingdom come." Christians frequently recite these words. But what is God's kingdom? Such a question has fascinated the faithful for more than two millennia. Throughout history we have pondered our ultimate salvation and the "end times", from St. Paul's eschatological epistles to modern best sellers like the Left Behind series. Now this brilliant course introduces you to that history and practice of eschatology, or the study of the final events in history.

With Zach Flanagin (PhD, University Chicago), you will study cutting-edge scholarship that reconstructs the historical Jesus. From The Da Vinci Code and Jesus Christ Superstar to the works of Thomas Jefferson and contemporary scholars, Prof. Flanagin merges popular with scholastic “portraits” for full effect.

For 2,000 years, Christians have studied the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps no other individual has had such a wide-ranging and powerful impact on the history of the Western world. But deciphering the person of Jesus requires a firm understanding of history, culture, and language. In these lectures, you will gather and interpret evidence about Jesus’ life, exploring the New Testament, the oral tradition, issues of translation, archaeology, and accounts written during Jesus’ life.

You are invited to journey back 2,000 years to the very start of Christianity and track 450 years of its fascinating early development. In Christian Origins 101, you will explore the rich history, early leadership, and groundbreaking theology, of early Christianity through 30 erudite lectures.

The Bible is fundamental to Christianity. In this course you will understand how the Bible has been understood through the ages. The importance of the Bible cannot be overstated: Jesus and the earliest Christians shaped their self-identity from its pages, medieval monks spent countless hours meditating on the sacred words, and reformers have been inspired by its radical message to speak the truth of the Gospel.