November 2008

Upcoming Online Classes

Ancient Roots: The Feminine Face of Western Religion
Part II—Women and the Sacred in Judaism and Christianity
This second part of the Ancient Roots curriculum (Part I ran in September) addresses women in early Jewish and Christian story and history, looking again at some elements and characters we may know well—or may not know as well as we think! Starting with Eve and the lesser-known Lilith in the Hebrew bible, we'll look also at the roles and relevance of some famous matriarchs in early Judaism. Then moving on to Christianity, we'll consider the Gnostic gospel of Mary Magdelene—which presents a very different early Christian woman with very different significance than has come down in popular understanding. Finally we'll move into early European history by exploring different roles for women in the early Irish church.

Taught by the Rev. Elizabeth Lerner, this course begins November 3rd, and runs for four weeks.

This course is partially funded by a generous grant from the UU Women’s Federation.

Religion and Ecology: A Shared Fate, A Shared Task
How are the world’s religions responding to environmental concerns?
Is the environment a religious issue? John Henry Newman has stated that people will die for a dogma who will not stir for a conclusion. What if, then, environmentalism was discussed in religious rather than scientific language? Would the 2/3 of the world’s population who belong to a religion then pay more attention, be willing to make changes? In this course we’ll explore the spiritual aspects of the environmental crisis and how the world’s religions are working separately and together toward saving this sacred space called Earth. We’ll look at the resources that these religions bring to the discussion of what is being called “deep ecology,” the religious and ethical dimensions of viewing the earth as sacred.

Taught by Peg Shaffer, one of our most popular online teachers, this course begins January 12th and runs six weeks.

To register for these or other classes, or to learn more about CLF online classes in general, go to Online Courses.

These courses carry a $40 registration fee.