St. Peter’s will be launching a new adult education ministry in the Fall – The St. Peter’s Academy. Following on from the popularity of the Sunday forums given by our parishioner, Dr. David Moseley, and requests for more in-depth study of the Scriptures and Faith, Dr. Moseley will be offering two different evening classes this fall on the church campus. Each class will be open to members of the parish and adults in the wider community, and will address issues in the style of a relaxed college seminar.

Exploring the Christian Scriptures

A Series of 14 classes on the New Testament meeting on Thursday evenings.

The Christian Scriptures build upon the many stories about God’s covenant relationship with the Jews in the Hebrew Scriptures by focusing on two new stories:

The Story of Jesus of Nazareth– His Life, Death, and Resurrection

The Story of the Early Church – The Followers of Jesus

In essence, the New Testament synthesizes these two stories asthe Witness (“Testament”) of the earliest Christians, proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah (“Christ”), and that this is “Good News” (Gospel) signifying salvation for the whole world. Some of the subjects explored in class will include:

• Jewish History and Faith

• Religion, Politics and Society

• The Text of the Four Gospels

• Theology and Interpretation

• The Gospel Communities

• The Church of the Apostles

• The Life and Letters of Paul

• The Book of Revelation

This popular class, which has been taught to parents at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla for the last two years, provides a college-level introduction to the Christian Scriptures.

The Problem of God - An Introduction to Philosophy of Religion

A Series of 14 classes on Religious Belief meeting on Wednesday evenings.

The questions ‘What is God?’ ‘Does God Exist?’ and ‘What doesit mean to believe in God?’ will be investigated against the background of modern philosophy and theology through multimedia teaching. Particular emphasis will be placed on the problem of suffering and evil, and how that affects belief in the existence and nature of God (“Theodicy”). This course will attempt to examine the ways in which the human understanding of God has responded and adapted to the turbulent shifts and developments in modern culture. We will be examining these issues in three stages:

1. The rise and fall of belief in God in the Judeo-Christian Western tradition. A brief overview of the religious and philosophical historythat contributed towards the central ideas of modernity, including consideration of the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional arguments for the existence of God.

2. The history of modern religious criticism and atheism - the great thinkers and ideas that upset the homogeneity of faith in God. Examples include: Hume on Miracles; Kant on Morality; Feuerbach on Anthropology; Marx on Politics; Kierkegaard on Faith; Dostoyevsky on Suffering; Nietzsche on Truth and Falsehood.

3. Reflection on the impact of these predominantly philosophical and scientific challenges to traditional belief in God in literature and the arts. Examples include:

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy; Rosencrantz and Guildensternare Dead by Tom Stoppard; and King Lear by William Shakespeare.

Dr. Moseley has taught this popular class at the University of San Diego for over ten years, and provides a college level introduction to basic philosophy and arguments about religion. Classes will be taught by David Moseley, Ph.D., Chair of the Religious Studies Department at The Bishop’s School, la Jolla. Dr. Moseley holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Law, Theology and Philosophy from Magdalen College, Oxford University; and a Doctorate in Theology from Jesus College, Cambridge University. He has been teaching Theology and Biblical Studies at the Universityof San Diego since 1997. He is also the Theologian-in-Residence at the Episcopal Cathedral in San Diego, and teaches adult education classes throughout the county.

Classes will meet weekly from early September through December,6:30-9:00 p.m. in the upper classroom on the St. Peter’s, Del Mar campus. The course will be multi-media, involving PowerPoint presentations, maps, slides, movie clips,visual art and music. Detailed handouts will be provided, reading requirementsare minimal, and there will be no tests!

For more information, please e-mail Dr. Moseley (djsmoseley(at)aim(dot)com) or contact the Parish Office at info(at)stpetersdelmar(dot)net.