Interpreting Scripture:
The Scripture Alive to our Questions and Experience 

Zoom
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Spirituality and Faith Formation
​Target Audience:  Parishoners and All Staff

Overview
As a community of love, grounded in the love of the Trinity, we are immersed in the scriptures.  Our task here is guided by the question of ‘how are the scriptures to be read?’ ‘how are we to interpret them?’  Contemporary believers are under the Word of God, but whether in prayer groups, kindergarten or year 9, they bring to that Word contemporary questions and issues.

In our two extended online sessions we engage with some contemporary approaches to the scriptures, opening up various ways that scholars and believers have found allow the biblical texts to speak into the reality of our world.  You will also notice that as we do this, we give an explanation as to why Catholics are not biblical fundamentalists!
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As human beings we are constantly interpreting what we take in.  We ask what it is, how am I hearing this, what is being said, what is left unsaid, what is being asked of me.  We are so good at interpreting that we forget we are doing it.  Here we go further and make explicit the ways we interpret, and bring them into conversation with the best scholarship around our biblical texts.

Some questions we explore are:
1.What are the scriptures
2.Are they straightforward?
3.What sorts of questions do texts raise:
4.What texts puzzle us as texts?
5.How would I interrogate this text if I were:
    a.A woman
    b.Poor
    c.Indigenous
    d.Chronically ill
    e.Well off
    f.A Trump supporter!
6.How does the text interrogate me?
7.How Catholics read in and with the community.

 

Aims
With this program participants will explore:
  • See how interpretation opens up the scriptures
  • Recognize their own experience in the scriptures
  • Feel the challenge of the scriptural texts
  • Understand why Catholics are  not fundamentalists but read in community
  • Gain insights into how to teach the scriptures with integrity and liveliness
  • Cover material that is part of the BBI-TAITE unit THEO800 Foundations for Theological Studies.
Duration
Two sessions online running for 90 minutes each from 3.30-5.00 pm.  Each session is offered twice in the same week.

Participation in the two online sessions and taking part in the discussions is credited as 3 hours of professional development hours.

​There will be BBI credentialing for participation in both zoom presentations. ​

Facilitators
Professor Gerard Moore

Date
Session 1: Wednesday, 22 June and
Thursday, 23rd June (repeated)

Session 2: Wednesday, 29th June and
​Thursday 30th June (repeated)

Venue
ONLINE:  Once you have enrolled, a zoom link will be sent closer to the day.

Time
3.30pm - 5.00pm
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Click button to register