In an increasingly chaotic world, where in the Bible can we most turn for guidance? The Torah of the Lord, often only considered as normative Biblical law, has much to offer in terms of wisdom, healing, and moral flourishing.
This course aims at understanding Torah as wisdom and evaluating how it responds to and addresses the fractured world from three perspectives of brokenness: fractured history, fractured self, and fractured relationships.
We will traverse the Bible and other Jewish texts from the time of Jesus to learn what Torah as “learning” and “instruction” mean in the Biblical context and how we can apply such knowledge to our day-to-day experiences and personal spiritual formation. Starting from Israel’s exile, we’ll examine how Torah both illuminates and heals the experience of a broken community in Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Jewish composition 4 Ezra, which was written after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70AD. We then look at Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, and Numbers to understand the fractured self in relation to the law, turning also to poetry in the psalms that address trauma and bring healing through speech and moral development.
Lastly, we look at the New Testament engagement with Torah through the life of Jesus and how it offers an answer to broken relationships. Our goal is to learn what it means to embody Torah, letting ourselves and the world around us be changed by it.
[1.5 AU, Elective]
Closing Date for Registration:
24 Jan 2026