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Faith Formation: Bible Study & Other Curricula

Resources including: Children & Family Curricula & Storytime; Confirmation/Affirmation of Baptism; Denominational Resources; Tween & Teen Mental and Spiritual Health; Sexuality & Identity; and Online/At-Home Tech

2SLGBTQIA+ Lenses

Godbreathed     The Bible and Homosexuality for Progressive Christians     The Biblical World of Gender                         Leaving Silence          Post-Traumatic Jesus          Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally     Cover for Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism     Cover for The Sins of Scripture     UnClobber, Expanded Edition with Study Guide     What Do We Do with the Bible?     Words of Love
      

Apocalypse / Justice / Revelation

The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos          Decolonizing Palestine:  The Land, The People, The Bible               Faith in the Face of Empire - Orbis Books     Faithful and True | A Study Guide to the Book of Revelation (Carey)     Picture of The Four Gospels     The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence               Leaving Silence     Loving Our Own Bones     Cover for Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism          Second Thoughts about the Second Coming     Cover for The Sins of Scripture     In Trembling Boldness: Wisdom for Today from Ancient Jesus People     Upside-Down Apocalypse     We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People's Campaign      

     

Access free digital resources related to Redeeming Violent Verses, including a group/individual discussion and reflection guide and suggestions for teaching violent verses to children (including notes on answering children's difficult questions) at www.wjkbooks.com/RedeemingViolentVerses.

BIPOC Lenses

Do Black Lives Matter?     Godbreathed     The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos     Fat Church | Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation (Kidd)     First Nations Version               In the Way of the Story     Leaving Silence     Let There Be Light by Liana Finck          Post-Traumatic Jesus     BL_PsalmsOfMyPeople_Cover_9781506479026c          We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People's Campaign                         Words of Love     The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for a Global Spirituality - Kindle  edition by Shapiro, Rami. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @  Amazon.com.      

Creation & Science Lenses

          First Nations Version               Jesus Sophia     Leaving Silence     Let There Be Light by Liana Finck     Listening to the Heart of Genesis     Second Thoughts about the Second Coming     Speak with the Earth and It Will Teach You | A Field Guide to the Bible (Cooperrider)     Stewards of Eden     The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for a Global Spirituality - Kindle  edition by Shapiro, Rami. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @  Amazon.com.      

Feminist/Mujerista/Womanist

The Biblical World of Gender     Blessed are the Women: Naming & Reclaiming Women’s Stories from the Gospels     Brave: Women of the Bible and Their Stories of Grief, Mercy, Folly, Joy, Sex, and Redemption     Fat Church | Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation (Kidd)     Fierce: Women of the Bible and Their Stories of Violence, Mercy, Bravery, Wisdom, Sex, and Salvation               Good Book: How White Evangelicals Save the Bible to Save Themselves               Jesus Sophia     Leaving Silence     Let There Be Light by Liana Finck          More Than a Womb          Undoing Conquest: Ancient Israel, the Bible, and the Future of Christianity                         

General Bible Study

9781638787136: Beginner's Bible Study Guide: An Introduction to All 66 Books of the Bible     The Bible Book by DK     Levine Biblew&wojesus 3d     Bible Word Search for Adults by Paige Tate & Co.                    Fat Church | Claiming a Gospel of Fat Liberation (Kidd)     Fear Not!     First Nations Version          Picture of The Four Gospels     Godbreathed     God's Monsters: Vengeful Spirits, Deadly Angels, Hybrid Creatures, and Divine Hitmen of the Bible     The Good Book     Book - Paperback               In the Way of the Story     In Trembling Boldness: Wisdom for Today from Ancient Jesus People     Jesus Sophia     Listening to the Heart of Genesis               Post-Traumatic Jesus     Prodigal Gospel          Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally     Cover for Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism     Returning from the Abyss     Cover for The Sins of Scripture          What Do We Do with the Bible?     Words of Love     The World Wisdom Bible: A New Testament for a Global Spirituality - Kindle  edition by Shapiro, Rami. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @  Amazon.com.          

Masculinist/Male Lens

Bad Boys of the Bible | Exploring Men of Questionable Virtue (Essex)     Filled to Be Emptied          Soul Brothers: Men in the Bible Speak to Men Today - Revised edition

Trauma-Informed Lens

God Trauma and Wisdom Therapy: A Commentary on Job

Other Curricula Lists

Sharon Ely Pearson offers this Planning Adult Christian Formation Programs outline, which includes:

  • Key Content areas for Faith-Building Adult Christian Education
  • Six “Types” of Adult Audiences
  • Ten Top Interests of Adults
  • Five elements of an effective educational process for adults
  • Three Steps to Better Adult Education
  • Categories for Adult Education during Adult Forums
  • More Topics
  • Yearly Study Planning Calendar

PCUSA Store - Home | FacebookPC(USA) Store offers their complete list of Bible Study Books.

Multimedia/Online Bible Resources

Bible in a Minute

Follow Riverside Church in NYC and Rev. Jim Keat, Rev. Adrienne Thorne, et. al., as they give on minute summaries of the Bible!

Learn more here.

Free Bible Images, 'wants to help those teaching the Bible in all nations of the world in this visual age. All pictures are free for use in teaching and non-commercial streaming. We provide the pictures and you tell the story, with the Bible as your reference source'.

Multi-Media

A doorway with double doors that are both openFaithward's Equity-Based Hospitality Study is an 11-week exploration of biblical hospitality from an equity lens, expanding on the values Rev. Liz Testa outlines in this article on equity-based hospitality. Lauralyn Vasquez developed the series, with input from the Reformed Church in America equity-based hospitality team.

What is equity-based hospitality?

Equity-based hospitality is embracing the biblical practice of welcoming both friends and strangers in generous, kind, respectful, flexible, barrier-free ways. It takes people’s needs into account so that they can find space to truly belong, live into their God-given gifts and callings, and contribute to the body of Christ in unique, strengthening ways. This practice embraces the mutual hospitality of guest and host and can be readily adapted to different contexts. 

The nine values of equity-based hospitality

  • Sense of belonging and ability to contribute
  • Access for all
  • Intentional diversity
  • Authenticity, vulnerability, and humility
  • Trust
  • Care for content and context
  • Attention to power dynamics
  • Prioritizing the needs of others
  • Respecting participation levels

Learn more and find all 11 downloadable sessions here.

 Grow Together Through Bible Study

The Restoration Bible Study features three church leaders from diverse backgrounds, contexts, and theological lenses who seek to answer the question: 'What does the Bible say about faithful restoration?' The study features 6 short videos with accompanying lesson plans which makes it easy for anyone to lead!

LEARN MORE

Amy-Jill Levine has created The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner's Guide to the Good News, which includes a DVD, Leader's Guide and Participant Guide

Participant Guide Sample

Leader Guide Sample

Watch this promo video and learn more about this study from AJ.

Faithward.orgThree Ways Churches Can Be Hospitable in a Time of Deconstruction is a brief blog that points to the more in-depth Deconstruction Toolkit, Deconstructing Faith and Christianity: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Get through It, which includes lists of Faith deconstruction books, articles, and resources.

Book Hub - 600 x 200px - no button (emails) - White-2The Gospel of Matthew is full of implications for how we can live (and even thrive) in the 21st century, but they may not be clear without first understanding the deeper context. Having a complete framework—from the historical and the theological to the cultural and literary—is what brings the teachings of Jesus to life.

Get Instant Access

You get:

  • Eight (8) virtual modules you can enjoy at your own pace
  • Includes course videos, study materials, and instruction
  • A downloadable handbook featuring the art of Steve Thomason
  • A safe place to learn and grow in your faith

Enroll Now

Group Access

Questions Jesus Asked                          Questions Jesus Asked DVD                       Questions Jesus Asked Leader Guide

Questions Jesus Asked - book / Questions Jesus Asked DVD / Questions Jesus Asked Leader Guide

The Bible and the English Major Podcast

The beauty in the Bible can be challenging to appreciate, and that's where I, an enthusiastic English Major, come in! Together we explore the dang good drama, bizarre ancient context, and creative artistry in the Bible.

If you're looking for a fresh take on stories you think you know or are curious about how Biblical authors used irony, symbolism, and humor to make a point, listen and follow The Bible and the English Major today!

Click your favorite podcast app to listen!

Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsListen on Google Podcasts

 

Water Is Life: Biblical Reflections

We know that Water is Life from almost every book of the Bible. Biblical scholar Diane Jacobson selected five different ways Scripture illuminates water as life and illustrates why and how the Bible encourages us to support remarkable work like that of Winona LaDuke, whose stories, lived experience, and current critical work shaped the 2022 Johnson Symposium.

Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We ArePoet, artist, and educator Joe Davis' Remind Me Again: Poems and Practices for Remembering Who We Are, is a collection of 41 poems that speak to our mind, body, and spirit, to our community, and to our purpose. Each poem includes a “Try This Practice” to help readers connect the themes to their everyday lives.

Coming Soon: Remind Me Again Facilitator Guide. 41 weeks of content based on all of the poems in Remind Me Again. This content is written by Rev. Jia Starr Brown. This content will help you have meaningful discussions about Joe’s poetry as well as help guide you to connect to your own community. This content is endlessly flexible and can be used as a 10-minute addition to a lesson or 41 weeks of hour-long sessions.

THIS LIVING THE KIN-DOM STUDY BY RIVA TABELISMA gives fresh eyes to the Lord's Prayer. Often learned by rote, the Lord's Prayer is a rich guide for how we can live out God's kin-dom in our lives. Tabelisma invites participants in this study to step away from our automatic recitation of the prayer and dive deep into the meaning of each line over the course of eight one-hour sessions. Each of the sessions examines a section of the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6:9–13 as it is recorded in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. 

Streaming/Online Videos or DVD

How We Got the New Testament
The basic question facing us as we look at the historical record is quite simple. Why does our Bible have a New Testament, comprised of only 27 books?
This course will help answer that and other questions such as:

  • Were the 27 books in our New Testament always considered special? If not, why did they end up in our Bible?
  • Were these the only books valued by the early church? If not, what happened to the rest?
  • How much of a role did the “real people” play in this process? 
  • Did our New Testament gradually emerge, or was it the result of 4th century decisions by bishops and emperors?
  • What role did technology play in the formation of our New Testament?
 

A Church Anew Bible Study on Genesis

A seven-episode video Bible study on Genesis with a written discussion guide; featuring Rev. Meta Herrick Carlson, Rev. Tyler Sit, Deacon David Rojas Martínez, Christine Belfrey, Rev. Jenny Sung, and Joe Davis.

AdobeStock_327540357.jpegCrystal Cheatam's Our Bible App is focused on Ditching Toxic Theology, and includes devotions and podcasts from emerging thinkers and leaders.

In Our Library

Made in Her Image: Exploring New Perspectives in the Bible and Christian History Facilitator Guide and Participant Resource Book

Across the Threshold, Into the Questions by Caren Goldman, Ted Voorhees, Amy-Jill Levine (9780819222558) - PaperBack - Religion & Spirituality Christianity           9780664253837: Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of Food     Cover for A Brief Introduction to the New Testament               Faith Shift by Kathy Escobar     Cover Image     Finding Jesus, Discovering Self: Passages to Healing and Wholeness  -     By: Caren Goldman, William Dols     From Anger to Zion: An Alphabet of Faith  -     By: Porter Taylor     From Jesus to Christ     God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines     A Gospel of Hope          Book - Paperback          Book - Paperback     M20GS     25540140. sy475      Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15  -     By: N.T. Wright     9780819229038: New Clothes: Putting on Christ and Finding Ourselves          The Passionate Jesus: What We Can Learn from Jesus about Love, Fear, Grief, Joy and Living Authentically  -     By: Rev. Peter Wallace               Hardcover Revelation and the End of All Things Book     13529091     29452445. sy475      The Underground Church: Reclaiming the subversive way of Jesus - Kindle  edition by Meyers, Robin. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @  Amazon.com.