Online Bible Course: The Book of Jeremiah

February 4 - March 15, 2008
Sponsored by: Church of the Brethren Susquehanna Valley Ministry Center

If you have questions about the course itself, email Susan Jeffers at susan@read-the-bible.org.
For information on registration and fees, contact the SVMC office, 717-361-1450.

This webpage was last updated 1/30/08.

This online Biblical Studies course is open to anyone who would like to enroll. By far the majority of students in SVMC courses are members of the Church of the Brethren in training for ministry (broadly construed). The instructor, Susan Jeffers, is a Quaker (member of the Religious Society of Friends) and would be particularly pleased should some interested Quakers sign up, as well as persons from other Christian denominations, other religious groups, or unaffiliated persons with an interest in the Bible. To get a sense of the instructor's biblical interests and approach, check out her "Peace Church Bible Study Home Page" at www.read-the-bible.org.

Course Description: In this course we will study the biblical book of Jeremiah, one of the books of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible known as the Prophets. We will try to read Jeremiah "as if for the first time," paying close attention to what the biblical text actually says and what it might mean. We will consult commentaries and other resources for information about the ancient world and what the Church has thought about this book of the Bible, in an effort to become better equipped for biblically grounded ministry. Students will be expected to read and think about assigned biblical and other texts, to participate in online class discussion, and to learn a bit of the biblical Hebrew language relevant to our study. Students will complete an individual study project to engage more deeply with some aspect of the book of Jeremiah, effective use of resources such as Bible dictionaries and commentaries, and ability to use the Bible in ministry.

Course Format: This course will be conducted online, using "Moodle" online courseware. You will need access to a high-speed Internet connection for an hour or more, at least 4-5 times per week throughout the course. You should plan on a total of 12-15 hours every week for the 6 weeks of the course for reading, online discussion and offline study. If you have questions, contact the instructor, Susan Jeffers, at susan@read-the-bible.org.

4 Required Books - be sure you have them all -

(1) NRSV Study Bible, in one of these editions or comparable:
New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Third edition, 2001, ISBN 019528478X or 0195284852 or New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, 2007, ISBN 9780195288803, 0195288807, 9780195288827, 0195288823, 9780195288834 or ISBN10: 0195288831.
New Interpreters Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. Abingdon, 2003, ISBN 0687278325.
HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. HarperSanFrancisco, ISBN 0060655801, 0060655267, or 0060655275.

NOTE: If you already have a Bible with the same title but no Apocrypha, or some other similar-sounding NRSV Study Bible, please email the instructor for permission to use the different NRSV Study Bible edition. You do NOT need the Apocrypha section for this course; if you have an NRSV Study Bible that's the same as or similar to one of the above except for the Apocrypha section, you'll probably be able to use it and spare the expense of an additional Bible.

Optional additional Bible: The Jewish Study Bible, published by Oxford University Press. Available in paperback (ISBN 0195297547) or hardcover (ISBN 0195297512).

(2) Believers Church Bible Commentary Jeremiah, by Elmer A. Martens, Herald Press, 1986.

(3) Any recent (10 years old maximum) academic style Bible Dictionary, such as Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, David Noel Freedman, ed., 2000, ISBN 0-8028-2400-5. Email the instructor if you're not sure about a particular Bible dictionary.

(4) Instructor's audio CD and workbook, A Little Bit of Hebrew Using the Text of Jeremiah, which will be mailed to you for receipt by approximately the course start date; the first week's lesson will also be posted online in case you don't receive the materials before the course starts.. The estimated cost of $8 including postage will be billed along with the course fee.

Course Schedule:

NOTE: Jeremiah is a very long book. I urge students to read it in its entirety, as well as the Week 1 Martens assignment, BEFORE the official start of class, so you're prepared to begin discussion early in the first week.