As one who commutes, I try to use my car time wisely. I was delighted to receive the gift of Great Figures of the New Testament by Amy-Jill Levine. Each of the 24 lectures are about 30 minutes long. This collection is part of The Great Courses series, and I highly recommend it.
I first heard Professor Levine speak while I was seminary student. When she speaks her intelligence and depth of knowledge shines through and she speaks well to her target audience. In these lectures, she would refer back to something she’d already explained and also give you a quick reminder. This study is perfect for beginning Bible students as well as those who have studied the Bible for years.
She took stories and people I have studied and brought fresh insights. For example in the story of the Good Samaritan, she said that too often when we tell it we don’t emphasize how much the Jews and Samaritans hated each other. “Who do you despise so much that you’d rather die than let that person help you?” Wow. That made me stop and think more about this story.
The CDs come with a course guidebook which gives you the scope, outline, suggested further readings, and questions for each lecture.
I would recommend these lectures for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the Bible. I would recommend these lectures for anyone who wants a refresher course with new insights into some of the most familiar people in the New Testament. I would recommend these lectures for Bible study groups who like to learn together and for individuals who prefer to learn alone. I highly recommend this course.
I love the Great Courses and church history. Thanks for the review and recommendation.
Glad I can pass along a recommendation for this Great Course!
Susannah