Hidden Power of the Gospels – Integrating Gospel Study and Spiritual Journey

 

Adult Education in Lent – The Hidden Power of the Gospels

Join us at 10am on Sundays in Lent, beginning March 13th as we explore the Gospels in a new way based on the book The Hidden Power of the Gospels by Dr. Alexander Shaia.  We will devote 25 minutes of listening to Dr. Shaia followed by discussion. He was raised in the Catholic tradition and has a varied educational background, including a Masters in Religious education and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.  Dr. Shaia’s focus is that each gospel contains a core metaphor and a universal spiritual question:

• The Gospel of Matthew: Climbing the Great Mountain 
How do we face change? The First Path

• The Gospel of Mark: Crossing the Stormy Sea 
How do we move through suffering? The Second Path

• The Gospel of John: Resting in the Glorious Garden 
How do we recover joy? The Third Path

• The Gospel of Luke: Walking the Road of Riches 
How do we mature in service? The Fourth Path

Each Gospel was written to a specific Christian community with its own set of circumstances.  “Four early communities wrestled with four distinct sets of challenges when faced with four distinct sets of historical circumstances that prompted four deep questions requiring answers.”  Shaia goes a step further by connecting these questions to practices that can become part of our spiritual journey which he calls Quadratos. As he writes the “Fourfold inner pilgrimage is a universal spiritual truth whose imprint can be found across time, geography, culture, and religious tradition.”  With this study, you will gain a new understanding of the Gospels, their teachings and their background as well as well as developing spiritual practices for continuing the journey.

The Journey

Topic 1:    Introduction 

Topic 2:    The Three Foundations of This Perspective

Topic 3:    Overview of The Four-Gospel Journey and Construction of the Three-Year

Sunday Lectionary

Topic 4:    Birthplace of The Gospel of Matthew: Great Antioch (mid-70s)

Topic 5:    Landscape of the Great Mountain: Question of Facing Change and the

Opening of Matthew‘s Gospel

Topic 6:    Passages from the Gospel of Matthew

Topic 7:    Birthplace of the Gospel of Mark: Rome (mid-60s)

Topic 8:    The Landscape of Mark‘s Gospel: The Stormy Sea and the Question of

Moving Through Suffering

Topic 9:    Passages from The Gospel of Mark

Topic 10:  Birthplace of The Gospel of John: Ephesus (mid to late 90s)

Topic 11:  Landscape of the Glorious Garden: Question of Receiving Joy and The

Prologue to John‘s Gospel

Topic 12:  Continuation of The Prologue and Passages from John‘s Gospel

Topic 13:  Birthplace of The Gospel of Luke: From Great Antioch on the Orontes (mid-80s)

Topic 14:  Luke‘s Landscape: Road of Riches and Question of Maturing in Service

Topic 15:  Passages from the Gospel of Luke

Topic 16:  Pattern of the Journey and The Essential and Continuing Practices: Part I

Topic 17:  Essential and Continuing Practices: Part II

Topic 18:  Universal Pattern (Almost) The Journey of Quadratos