The Way of Discipleship in Sacred Scripture

Sep 12, 2019 - Nov 14, 2019, Thursdays 6:30 - 8:30pm

Instructor

Joshua Burks

The Way of Discipleship in Sacred Scripture — “The Call of Saint Matthew” Michelangelo Marisa da Caravaggio (1600)

Depicting the scene from Matthew 9:9, Caravaggio uses the contrast of light and darkness to embody the call that Jesus extends to Matthew to “follow me.” This artistic interpretation vividly displays Christ, the true light of the world, encountering the sinner in his darkness so that He may call him to walk in the way of His light as His disciple.

In his speech on January 22, 2004, Pope John Paul II reminded the faithful that “The need for authentic disciples of Jesus Christ remains as urgent as ever.” Recent emphasis on New Evangelization has created a context in which discipleship has become a popular topic. We hear about it in homilies, apostolates, books, articles, and elsewhere throughout Christianity. But what is discipleship? Who is called to be a disciple and what does that call entail?

In The Way of Discipleship in Sacred Scripture, we will seek answers to these questions by exploring the theme of discipleship in the Bible. We will begin by examining the earliest development of discipleship as we find it presented in the Old Testament. With our findings in view, we will then examine how the New Testament carries the theme forward to develop what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Throughout this study, we will consider how the Bible intends to influence us and shape our lives as readers who are being made into disciples of Jesus by our contemplation of the sacred text.

Required Texts:

Sacred Scripture, the Bible (preferably RSVCE 2nd edition)
The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis)
Instructor’s notes (provided and included in the registration cost)

Reference Materials

Syllabus The Way of Discipleship in Sacred Scripture Fall 2019
Week 1 CCC and GS Reading
Benedict XVI excerpt on Mary’s response - This excerpt is another beautiful insight given by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel (cf. Luke 1:34).
N.T. Wright excerpt on Luke - This piece is a bit more academic and you are not required to read it. This dives into the parallels between the beginning and end of the Gospel of Luke, as mentioned in last night’s class.

Classroom Location & Directions

Comments (Add your own)

Dear Students,

Our first class is just around the corner! To best prepare for this week’s session, please comment below introducing yourself, what parish/church/community you belong to, and what led you to sign up for this course on discipleship in Scripture.

Also you will see above in the “Reference Section” (right above the Google Map) there are two attached documents: 1) the course syllabus, which will highlight brief readings to be done before class (no need to print as I will bring printed copies to class for all of you) and 2) a PDF of part of that reading assignment. Since this was posted scarcely more than 50 hours before our first gathering, I do not expect that everyone will have read the assigned readings, which is more than okay. We will get better acquainted with the schedule of readings once we are all in class together.

(My introduction:) Hello, my name is Joshua Burks and I have the great privilege of teaching this course on The Way of Discipleship in Sacred Scripture this quarter. Previous to teaching at the Emmaus Institute, I served as a FOCUS missionary in South Dakota for four years while. During that time I attained my M.A. in Theology from the Augustine Institute based out of Denver, CO. I grew up in Lincoln out of St. Peter parish but now attend St. Joseph parish with my wife, Elizabeth, and our two boys Elijah (2 and a half) and Simon (10 months). I am eager to dive into this course because it is the fruit of years of prayer, study, and searching what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that Scripture, as the living breath of the Lord, will continue to speak to our hearts, informing and transforming us into “the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29).

What is the charge$$$ for a class?

Hi Marcia,

Though our first session began yesterday, we have extended the registration window to be open until next Thursday, September 19th. If you live in the Lincoln area and would like to still attend this course, I would happily encourage you to do so by visiting this course page and clicking “Register for this Course” where you will find all the relevant information, including cost. If you would like to register, I can make sure you are caught up and prepared to join for next week (session two of the course). If you have any further questions, please reach out by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking “Contact Us” and we will be happy to help. God bless!

Join in the conversation

All comments are subject to moderation in accordance with our posting guidelines.

Courses

Reference Materials

Classroom Location & Directions