The Lay Academy of Theology offers non-credit evening classes and other study opportunities led by Beeson faculty for interested laity as well as ministers desiring continuing education.
Evening Courses
A Study of the Christian Life in Light of the Wisdom
of the Christian Past
Join Dr. Michael Pasquarello III in a six-week study of the Christian life as seen in light of the Christian past. Each class session will explore the practical wisdom of a significant figure from the church’s story, including Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and C.S. Lewis. The course will point to ways that our Christian convictions inform and shape who we are and how we live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Divinity School; M.A., Ph.D., The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is Beeson’s Methodist Chair of Divinity and the director of the Robert Smith Jr. Preaching Institute and of the Doctor of Ministry degree program. Dr. Pasquarello teaches in the areas of biblical preaching and Wesleyan theology. He is the author of several books, including Dietrich: Bonhoeffer and a Theology of the Preaching Life (Baylor University Press, 2017) and The Beauty of Preaching (Eerdmans, 2020)
Schedule
Six Monday nights, 6-8 p.m., beginning Feb. 22, 2021.
CLASS WILL ONLY BE OFFERED ONLINE
Cost
$59.00
The Gospel of Luke
Luke the evangelist has often been compared to a painter. His Gospel is so beautiful that the church has confessed it to be no less than a work of art! Consider the following: only the Gospel of Luke permits us to hear Jesus’ mother, Mary, praising God for the birth of her son. Only the Gospel of Luke gives us the beautiful parable of the Prodigal Son. And only in Luke’s Gospel do we find an extended report of Jesus teaching his disciples after his resurrection. Much more could be said. Come study the Gospel of Luke with Dr. Osvaldo Padilla, who has studied Luke-Acts for over 10 years and has written two books on the subject. Together you will explore: did Luke “the beloved physician” really write this Gospel or was it written many years later by a person who did not know the apostles? Is it true that Luke presents God as Triune? What do we learn about the work of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus and the church? What place does Luke envision for women in the work of the church? What does it mean to be saved according to the Gospel of Luke? And many other questions that are crucial for the church today.

Schedule
Six Wednesday nights, 6-8 p.m., beginning Feb. 24, 2021.
CLASS WILL ONLY BE OFFERED ONLINE
Cost
$59.00
Weekday Seminars
Sacred Worship
God himself reveals what is acceptable worship in his eyes. To answer the question, “What is pleasing, authentic worship to the Lord?,” Dr. Kenneth Mathews leads this study into the Bible that shows that “sacred worship” is what God receives. By understanding a biblical theology of worship in the Old and New Testaments, we will learn what is meant by “sacred” and how it is attained perfectly through God’s own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit!

Schedule
Six Monday afternoons, 2-4 p.m., beginning Feb. 22, 2021
CLASS WILL ONLY BE OFFERED ONLINE
Cost
$59.00
Resolving Confusion of Christian Identity: A Study in 1 Corinthians
There is a crisis in the church! A church not only permits, but approves of sexual immorality! It struggles with toxic division over preference of certain leaders, members promote their spiritual gifts to one another! Believers are so selfish that they routinely dismiss the poor among them as they worship! There’s confusion and constant discord. Does this sound familiar? This is the church in Corinth. If you seek theological answers for these perennial problems in the church, come and study Paul’s answers to all these problems with Dr. Sydney Park. The apostle’s theological reasons for Christian identity to the Corinthians will provide the urgent salve we need today!

Schedule
Six Thursday afternoons, 2-4 p.m., beginning Feb. 25, 2021
CLASS WILL ONLY BE OFFERED ONLINE
Cost
$59.00
Registration Options
There are three ways to register:
- Register Online (with Visa or Master Card)
- Register by Mail (with check)
- Call (205) 726-2338 or (800) 888-8266 ext. 2338