Remember the Sabbath

with: Alastair Roberts and James Jordan

The Sabbath is first introduced in the second chapter of the first book of the Bible, as the conclusion and climax of the creation week. God Himself rests on the first Sabbath day. In Exodus, Sabbath is the sign of the covenant that the Lord makes with Israel, a condensed symbol of Israel’s deliverance, and a pattern for their social practice.

Sabbath is the root conjugated in the calendar of festivals. By resting one day in seven, Israel is formed in a different posture towards time. Their lives are structured by Sabbath. Rest punctuates their labour, as Sabbath memorializes God’s past deeds and anticipates his promised future.

These postures towards time continue into the New Testament. However, the actions of Jesus and his disciples on the Sabbath cause controversy and conflict over fundamental facets of Jesus’ mission. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurates a new age, rising on the first day of a new week. Christians no longer celebrate Sabbath as Israel did, but many of the principles of the Sabbath continue to be instructive for the church.

This course explores the extensive teaching of Scripture concerning the Sabbath, tracing it through narrative, law, ritual, feast, and prophecy. Students will receive a firmer grasp of the institution of the Sabbath and of its structuring of creation and Israel’s life and story. Students will consider the importance of temporal categories for a well-ordered theology, and will explore what Sabbath can teach us about the order of our own worship, time, lives, and societies.

Dates: weekly on Saturday, from January 16th to February 20th

Time: 1:00-3:00pm, CST

Cost: $100/person