The Christian life is a journey, and we never cease to travel, learn, and grow. Adult education offerings at The Brick Church are meant to help church members and friends on their spiritual journeys.

We join in adult education to grow in faith in the God revealed in Jesus Christ, to understand the Bible and the Christian tradition, to apply our faith as we engage in conversation with the world, and to live fully and faithfully as individuals and with our neighbors. Come grow and learn.

Abraham’s Children: An Exploration of Judaism, Islam, and ChristianityAdult Education is starting the year with a new Sunday series, “Abraham's Children: An Exploration of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.” The series will feature a number of guest speakers and will explore the history and relationships of the descending faiths of Abraham.

SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS

Sunday, Jan. 10 at 10 a.m.
Dr. Michael K. Kogan, chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Montclair State University and author of the recent book Opening the Covenant: A Jewish Theology of Christianity, will discuss his research and book, in which he argues for the mutual need that Jews and Christians have for one another, not just on social and political levels, but also religiously. Kogan received his Ph.D. from Syracuse University. He is an active participant in the Jewish-Christian dialogue and the author of several very influential articles on its theological foundations. His research interests include contemporary Jewish and Christian thought, biblical hermeneutics, and existential theology. Courses he regularly teaches include Old and New Testaments, Contemporary Jewish Thought, Religious Existentialism, The Thought of Søren Kierkegaard, Heidegger's Being and Time, Modern Theology, and Religion and the Poetic Imagination.

Sunday, Jan. 24 at 10 a.m.
Professor Hussein Rashid of Hofstra University will speak about Islamic history and culture. Prof. Rashid earned a Master of Theology degree from Harvard University and is completing a Ph.D. in Islamic Cultures. He is deeply committed to interfaith work, is passionate about teaching, and was named one of the Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow in 2006 for his work within the Muslim community and on behalf of Muslims. He comes recommended to us with high praise by leaders at Auburn Theological Seminary.

Sunday, Jan. 31 at 12:30 p.m.
We are in for a treat from two of our own. Seminary Student Minister Margaret Mitsuyasu and Elder Ellen Clark Clemot will have just returned from a month of study in Israel, and they will present "Reflections on a Visit to the Holy Land.” They have promised pictures! In particular, they will focus on the ways they saw the three Abrahamic faiths interacting in Israel. Pizza lunch will be served at that event, with donations appreciated.

Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10 a.m.
Dr. Katharine Henderson, the president of Auburn Seminary and a friend of The Brick Church, will speak about interfaith relations in New York City. Henderson, who helped to found the internationally recognized Face to Face, Faith to Faith program for teenagers from conflicted areas of the world, received a doctorate in higher education from Teachers College Columbia University in 2000. She received her M. Div. degree in 1982 from Union Theological Seminary in New York City and her B.A. from The College of Wooster, Phi Beta Kappa. She was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1982 and is Parish Associate at First Presbyterian Church of NYC.?

Please plan to join us for this important series about the three Abrahamic faiths. We look forward to seeing you there.

Contact the Rev. Christy Lang for more information about this series.