Book Study: Augustine’s Confessions
Summer 2025
Leader: James Spiegel, Ph.D.
Dates: Saturdays, 9:00-10:30 am, June 28 - August 2
Location: Christian Community Church, 5586 Olentangy River Rd., Columbus Ohio 43235
A semi-formal, in-depth discussion of one of the greatest works in the history of Christian thought. Augustine’s Confessions is the first spiritual autobiography in Western history and a rich meditation on God’s attributes, human nature, spiritual formation, creation, time, and the problem of evil.
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”
Biblical Authority
Spring 2025
Christians believe the Old and New Testament scriptures are a special revelation from God. But skeptics question the historical reliability of scripture as well as the very idea of a divinely inspired text. In this class we will address several issues related to biblical authority, including these: How were the 66 texts that make up the OT and NT canon chosen? Is the Bible historically reliable? What is divine inspiration and why believe Scripture was inspired by God? What is the concept of biblical inerrancy, and is it reasonable? And how does the matter of biblical interpretation fit into all of this?
The Christian Experience of God
Winter 2025
This class explores the ways that Christians—in various times, cultural contexts, and theological traditions—have described the experience of God. How are the forms of experience similar, how different, and what can we learn from those experiences that are different from our own? We will also reflect on these questions: What is an experience of God at its core? How can I know in a particular case that it is God I am experiencing? Is it important that the Christian even have such experiences? Why or why not? Are there checks or tests for assessing other persons’ claims of religious experience?
Loving God with Your Mind
Fall 2024
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Mt. 22:37). So what does it mean to love God with one’s mind? In this class we will wrestle with this question and consider its implications for our lives as Christians. Along the way we will explore several related questions, such as these: What is the mind? What is reason? What is the significance of evidence for God, the resurrection of Jesus, and other core Christian beliefs? What is the role of the mind in spiritual transformation? What is the impact of sin on the mind? Why does Jesus tell us to be “shrewd” (Mt. 10:16), and what does this mean for us today?