The Great Courses

This course is a scholarly treatment of the Bible as literature that examines the many literary and cultural themes that originate in the Bible.

The year: 1947. A Bedouin shepherd tracks one of his stray goats into a cave mouth above the shore of the Dead Sea at a desolate place named Qumran. Inside, he discovers a pair of tall, thin clay pots. And what he finds when he opens those pots will be nothing less than the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century: the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Some 2,000 years ago, a man walked the earth who had a greater impact than any other person in history. Lowly born, he rose to prominence as he spread his vision of the redemption of the world.

The early Christian claim that Jesus of Nazareth was God completely changed the course of Western civilization. What exactly happened, such that Jesus came to be considered God?

This course provides a detailed investigation of the Old Testament, the Scripture that emerged from the Hebrew people and still forms the foundation of the Jewish faith today, as well as underlying the Christian and Islamic traditions.

Mary has been a controversial figure throughout Christian history, with some viewing her as a semi-divine figure of veneration, and others decrying the idea of placing her on such a high pedestal, despite being the mother of Jesus.

Paul is one of the most important, most controversial, and least understood figures in earliest Christianity. This course addresses many questions concerning his embattled life and work.

In the first centuries after Christ, there was no "official" New Testament. Early Christians read and fervently followed many more Scriptures than we have today.

Religious discourse uses intention rather than cause to explain the world. Approaches that accept this as fundamental are explored.

How did ancient people cope with the overwhelming mystery of the universe—where the cycles of nature keep predictable time with the sun, moon, and stars...