by Dr Jonathan More
GWC has developed a number of online short courses aimed at helping Christians pursue the various ministries to which God has called them. Next year we plan to offer four online short courses which will be:
Biblical Theology
The purpose of this short course is to help you to interpret the Bible. We will think about some of the issues that come up when reading an ancient book (the Bible) as God’s word for us today, and how to bridge that gap. We will look at the importance of understanding the Bible in the way its authors and original readers did. And so we will look at how genre and context work in interpretation. And then we will learn to use a tool called biblical theology as a way of bridging the gap to today’s world.
Mark’s Gospel
In this course you will study Mark’s Gospel in order to become more familiar with this foundational Christian text, but also, more generally, to become a better reader of the Bible. The course will focus on the Gospel itself, the theology that emerges from the Gospel, the context in which the Gospel was written and first read, and the way in which God continues to speak to his people today through this Gospel.
Reading Your Culture
Each day we live out stories about the world and ourselves. In this course we will learn to look around and become aware of these stories. We will learn to read these stories by identifying and understanding cultural texts and trends. Finally, we will practise the skill of theological reflection by setting these cultural stories within the Bible’s redemptive storyline. The highpoint of this short course will be demonstrating your cultural reading skills by creating your own cultural case study. You will get there by working through a collection of online readings, analysing case studies, reviewing concepts through quizzes, and refining your thinking alongside others through discussion forums.
A final word on our short courses (and another reason you should consider joining in 2025) is that the feedback from 2024 participants was overwhelmingly positive, from the support they received from online team members to the experience of personal growth and a sense of being better equipped for Bible interpretation. Participants found the course easy to navigate and accessible. They also enjoyed the discussions and appreciated the ordering and logical flow of the courses.
For more information (or to apply to attend one of these short courses) visit our website: www.gwc.ac.za/how-to-apply/