Adult Christian Education

Bible Passages on Caring for the Poor (August 19 & 26)

Albert Blackwell, retired Professor of Religion at Furman University, will lead us in a discussion of some of the Biblical passages that inform our understanding of our relationship with the poor.  The first session on August 19 will be devoted to passages from the Hebrew Bible, such as Exodus 22:25: “If you lend money to the poor among you, you shall not exact interest from them.” What do we make of this directive? In our second session we’ll consider teachings of Jesus that echo and intensify Hebrew Bible themes. For example, Luke 18:22: “Sell all that you own and distribute to the poor.” Could Jesus really have been serious? We’ll give careful attention to the context of each passage we discuss.  The class will meet at 10:10 AM in Room 229.