Biblical Literature 101
In this course, pastor and professor Mike Mennard explores the amazing literary quality of the Bible and how it fits together into the greatest story ever told.
This course is an adaptation of a class on biblical literature Mennard has taught at Union.
Mike Mennard is currently the lead pastor of New Creation Seventh-day Adventist Church and an adjunct professor at Union Adventist University.
Watch the course as a Youtube playlist or click below to expand descriptions of each course video.
One Story to Rule Them All
In lesson one, Pastor Mike explores how a collection of 66 books written by many authors over 1000 years are interwoven to tell one magnificent story.
The Hebrew Psalms — A poetry too radical for church?
In lesson two, Pastor Mike explores the truth behind the beautiful poetry of the Psalms and their true expression of communion with God.
The Pharasees
In lesson three, Pastor Mike explores the story of the Pharisees. We often view them as biblical bad guys, but they are at least partially responsible for the scriptures as we know them today.
It's a Boat — and we're all in it together
In lesson four, Pastor Mike explains how Old Testament writers speak from the perspective of the community, not the individual.
Plato's Fingerprints on the New Testament
In episode five, Pastor Mike explains how the ideas of the philosopher Plato left an indelible mark on the writers of the New Testament and how understanding this leads to a better understanding of the Gospels.
The Flood — A worldwide Holocaust
In lesson six, Pastor Mike explains why it is important to understand how humans tend to superimpose our own interpretations of Bible stories.
The Poetic Genius of Genesis 1
In lesson seven, Pastor Mike explores why understanding the poetic beauty of Genesis is the foundation to a clearer picture of the entire Bible.
Daniel's Role in Christmas
In lesson eight, Pastor Mike connects the dots through the scriptures and history to explain how Daniel likely heavily influenced the Magi of the Christmas story.
How to Read the Bible
In lesson nine, Pastor Mike explains some key principles that will help readers gain great enjoyment and understanding of the scriptures.
Monsters, Faith and Pop Culture
In this course, Dr. Seth Pierce explains how we use monsters in our culture and in our stories to help us process what we believe is good and bad or what we simply don't understand.
This course is an adaptation of a course he taught at Union by the same name. He also explored this topic more in depth in his podcast, Beast and Bible.
Seth Pierce taught communication at Union Adventist University and is now lead pastor at the Sunnyside Adventist Church in Oregon.
Watch the course as a Youtube playlist or click below to expand descriptions of each course video.
A Monster Comes to Lunch
In lesson one, Pastor Seth discusses what first prompted him to explore the monstrous and how we use monsters to express ideas about ourselves.
Monster Theory 101
In lesson two, Pastor Seth explores how scripture and other literature use monsters and the monstrous to express ideas about human nature.
Horror and Holy
In lesson three, Pastor Seth explores why biblical characters express great fear when encountering the Divine.
Wrapping With the Dead
In lesson four, Pastor Seth explains why misunderstanding what we classify as monstrous and why can lead to dangerous results.
Hauntology: The Logic of Ghosts
In lesson five, Pastor Seth explores why ghost stories are used throughout literature and even in the scriptures.