The popular ETS Saturday Courses will resume on Saturday, 14th September.
How do the Saturday Courses work?
One Saturday a month, from September through to April, three lectures are delivered by visiting speakers. These lectures, which are also available to access online, are specially designed to stretch the Christian mind and deepen an understanding of God’s word. The course content covers Biblical Studies, Practical Theology, Christian Discipleship and Christian Doctrine.
Who is the Saturday Course for?
The Saturday Courses, which may be completed with or without essays, are of great benefit to anyone who has a longing to dig deeper into the gospel.
No prior qualifications are necessary – everyone is welcome.
The following awards are available in these courses:
- Certificate in Theology: To qualify for a Certificate in Theology, the student is required to submit six essays (normally up to three essays each year).
- Diploma in Christian Studies: This is a further course for those who have already gained their Certificate in Theology. To qualify for the Diploma in Christian Studies, the student is required to submit a further six essays (normally up to three essays each year).
When will the lectures take place?
In 2024/2025, the lectures will be delivered one Saturday a month on the following dates:
2024: 14 September, 5 October, 2 November, 7 December
2025: 11 January, 8 February, 8 March, 12 April
The lectures will be delivered from the Chalmers Hall at ETS from 10am to 3.15pm.
Classes at venues other than Edinburgh and Stornoway will make their own arrangements for meeting.
Here are details of the lectures taking place in 2024-25:
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Practical Theology:
Unashamedly Christian
Lecturer: David Nixon
Living at a time when Christians were a marginalised minority, suffering derision and persecution, the apostle Paul declared: “I am not ashamed of the gospel…” (Romans 1:16a).
That’s the same exhortation that the apostle would address to us, living in a 21st century post-Christian society, where Christians are no longer seen as the good guys but as “the bad guys” (Stephen McAlpine). However, we need not be ashamed! It is possible to live unashamedly for Christ.
In this course we will explore how the Bible tells a better story about what it means to be human – living into God’s good design, instead of working against it.
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Christian Doctrine:
The Parables of Jesus: What Are They and Why Are They So Misunderstood?
Lecturer: Zachary Purvis
Jesus’s parables are among the best known and most influential stories in the world. One-third of Jesus’s teaching in the Gospels comes in parables. Yet the parables are also among the most misinterpreted stories in the world. Their point is often lost on the crowds – and lost on many today. So, why did Jesus deliver them? What do they mean? Far from being timeless eternal principles or compelling moral tales like Aesop’s Fables, the parables specifically reveal the kingdom of God. This course will examine Jesus’s parables and address numerous questions along the way: What is the proper context and background to the parables? How do they bring covenant sanctions of blessing and curse? How should we understand the nature of the kingdom of God? Our lecture series will bring greater clarity to the Scriptures and strengthen our confidence in the work of Christ.
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Biblical Studies:
“Bizarre Food” or Spiritual Feast? Understanding Leviticus
Lecturer: Daniel Sladek
This lecture series will seek to answer a basic question: how can we as Christians appropriate Leviticus? Along the way, we will consider more specific questions such as the following: what is the place of Leviticus in the Pentateuch? What is the structure of the book? How can we understand the ceremonial categories? What was the purpose of the various sacrifices? It is hoped that this study will enrich our understand of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
