Ballooning over Capadokia. 2013 Study-Tour to Turkey. Photograph by Mark Ziese
It is difficult to appreciate that which is distant unless one first appreciates that which is near. Study in advance of travel is important. Language, geography, history, art, science, and literature must be pursued with the same rigor with which we pursue theology. If the Great Quest is reduced to an "either-or" enterprise, we devalue the complexity of both the Creator and the Created.
This portion of the website provides primary assistance to traditional and nontraditional students. Non-traditional learners may peruse and use this information, although only a partial range of materials are made available. For more information on current online course offerings and registration information, contact Bible Land Explorer here.
Orientation to the OT
Johnson University
This course introduces learners to the Torah (or Pentateuch) of the OT (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Focus is given to literary strategies, historical contexts, and theological messages. A distinctively Christian application of these texts is considered.
Go to BIBL 1103 →
Bible lands and lifeways
Hope University
The purpose of this course is to introduce the natural environment of the biblical world (lands) and to explore human strategies of interaction with that environment (lifeways). Literary, geographical, and anthropological tools are mustered to describe discrete regions and to infer lifeway patterns.
Go to HIS 28881 →
ISAIAH
Johnson University
The study of this book seeks to unpack voicings of social grief and amazing hope for the People of God. Without parallel in the Hebrew canon, Isaiah is central to the perspectives voiced in the New Testament about the work of Messiah as "ultimate Israel" for the sake of world.
the minor prophets
Johnson University
Learners explore the texts of the Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi). Attention is given to understanding the message of the prophets in its historical context as prelude for contemporary cultural critique.
Go to HEBR 3205 →
Bible lands (Grad)
Johnson University
This study-abroad experience gives attention to Israel and Palestine, regions integral to the historic development of biblical literature and home to three text-oriented communities, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Observation, engagement, and contemplation within these contexts allow learners to explore Christian ministry in an increasingly complex world. May be taken for CMSM or BIBL credit.
Go to BIBL 5323 →
Bible lands (undergrad)
Johnson University
This study-abroad experience gives attention to Israel and Palestine, regions integral to the historic development of biblical literature and home to three text-oriented communities, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Observation, engagement, and contemplation within these contexts allow learners to explore Christian ministry in an increasingly complex world. May be taken for CMSM or BIBL credit.
Go to CMSM/BIBL 4323 →
Engaging students at Johnson University.