Sundays through October 19, Room 102A and online
Kings 1 and 2 (originally one book but long ago divided into two, when it was translated into Greek) is part of the Deuteronomic History, which includes Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. A sprawling history with theological intent, it covers the reigns of 42 kings over 400 years. Kings has three critical reference points: the Babylonian victory over Jerusalem and the exile; the building and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem; and the Torah’s ultimate centrality. This class will look briefly at the authorship, background, and importance of the book, but will focus primarily on what role such a book of ancient history might play in our spiritual lives today. We’ll do this by looking closely at some of the stories the book recounts.