Winter 2012 Course Offerings

A Voice Crying Out in the Wilderness: John the Baptist—Herald or Teacher of Jesus?

Rev. George Smiga, STD.

Eight Saturdays, January 14 to March 3, 2012 | $120 | 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Forest Hill Church Presbyterian | Bodwell Hall | 3031 Monticello Boulevard | Cleveland Heights

With the exception of Jesus and the Apostle Peter, no character in the gospels is mentioned more frequently than John the Baptist. The space he occupies in the biblical text indicates the importance of his person in Christian history. But what was the role of John? Although the gospels present him consistently as the herald of Jesus, some biblical passages indicate that his contribution was more fundamental. This course will examine the biblical texts referring to John, strive to understand the history which shaped them, uncover the historical Baptist’s teaching and mission, and ultimately argue that John the Baptist was the teacher of Jesus.

Rev. George Smiga, STD, received his doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome and teaches as part of the scripture department of St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology in Wickliffe. He is the author of Pain and Polemic: Anti-Judaism in the Christian Gospels and has recently published The Gospel of John Set Free: Preaching Without Anti-Judaism. He is a priest and the pastor of St. Noel Parish in Willoughby Hills.

Circling toward Center: The Christian Practice of Silent Prayer

Mr. Wayne Simsic, M.A.
Six Mondays, January 30 to March 12, 2012 (no class February 20) ? 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ? $90
Plymouth Church | Room 102 | 2860 Coventry Road | Shaker Heights | 44120

We learn how to pray by praying but each of us struggles with familiar impasses like the seductive power of distractions, the leaden weight of boredom, or the onslaught of afflictive feelings. We need clarification and support in our practice. This course, set against the backdrop of the Christian contemplative tradition of prayer, explores the deep ache of the heart for a radical openness to God beyond techniques and personal achievement. It explores an entrance to our own inner silence and, even deeper, into the silence of God. It will address both the needs of beginners as well as those who are familiar with the practice of contemplative prayer.

Wayne Simsic, M.A., teaches in the Religious Studies Department and the Ministry Program at Ursuline College. He directs retreats and workshops on the mystics and has authored several books on spirituality including Thomas Merton: An Invitation to the Contemplative Life. His new book on St. John of the Cross, entitled Seeking the Beloved: A Prayer Journey with St. John of the Cross will be published in 2012.

Interpreting Sacred Spaces

Rabbi Peter Haas, Ph.D.

Five Sunday Sessions—one classroom session and four visits: to a Christian Church, a Jewish Temple, A Muslim Mosque, and a Hindu Temple [Co-sponsorship with InterAct Cleveland]
First Session: March 25, 2012 at Church of the Covenant | 11205 Euclid Avenue | Cleveland, Ohio | 44106 |  | 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The four visits: Sundays April 22, May 6, May 20 and June 3, 2012 | 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. | $75 for all 5 sessions

Religions articulate their ideas of the sacred or the holy through various media: language, rituals, art and of course the structuring of hallowed space. In many ways one can regard sacred space as a kind of text that can be read and understood, both on a subconscious, subliminal level and on a discursive, academic level. This course is meant to show how sacred space is analyzed and understood by what is sometimes called the “anthropology” of religion. The course begins with an introduction to theoretical method and proceeds to look at a variety of sacred spaces from diverse faith traditions. Participants will be able to compare what they see not only to the theoretical models, but to other sacred spaces. Hopefully this will also lead to deeper insight into the structure and symbolism of one’s own religious space. [Note: Each visit will include an explanation of the religion in relation to the sacred space, a tour, and time for discussion].

Rabbi Peter Haas, Ph.D. received his B.A. in Ancient Near East History from the University of Michigan in 1970 and then attended Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, from where he received ordination as a Reform Rabbi in 1974. Rabbi Haas earned a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies in 1980 at Brown University. After teaching at Vanderbilt University, he joined the faculty of the Department of Religious Studies at Case Western Reserve University in January, 2000, and was appointed chair of the department in 2003. He is also a visiting professor at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago, IL. Prof. Haas has published several books and articles dealing with moral discourse and with Jewish and Christian thought after the Holocaust. He has lectured in the United States, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Israel. His most recent book is on human rights in Judaism.