Adult Bible Classes for UUs with Student Minister Bryan Bower

Adult Bible Classes for UUs with Student Minister Bryan Bower

When & Where: 4 Sundays: March 22 (2:00pm), April 12, May 24, and June 14 in RE Room 15 at UUCSR at 1:00pm

Description: John Buehrens, former UUA President and author of Universalists and Unitarians in America: A People's History, writes in his book Understanding the Bible, a list of reasons for all "skeptics, seekers, and religious liberals" to study the Bible: "The first motivation could be called political: If you can't or won't understand the Bible, others surely will interpret it for you. The second could be called cultural or literary: Within this culture you can't be fully literate or creative, artistically or rhetorically, without an acquaintance with the Bible. But now we come to the third and most personal reason: You can't be spiritually mature or wise by simply rejecting the Bible as oppressive. The oppressive uses of the Bible are real, but unless you learn to understand that there are other readings possible, the Bible will, indeed, simply continue to be a source of oppression for you, and not a source of inspiration, liberation, creation, and even exultation as you understand it anew for yourself, at a deeper and less literal level." These are many of the reasons that compelled UUCSR's Student Minister Bryan Bower to go to seminary. Buehrens writes that "not all of us, however, can or should go to seminary to begin to take back our right to read and interpret the Bible for ourselves," saying you can begin with a basic book such as his. However, since Bryan has already graduated from seminary, he decided to offer an Adult Bible Class at UUCSR throughout Spring 2026 in RE Room 15 at UUCSR! Come join Bryan on this journey of Bible study!

Session 1:  

You are invited to join in studying the Bible critically and intelligently with Student Minister Bryan Bower, who specialized in modern Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary. Rather than taking these texts at face value, we will examine the signs that the text was compiled from older sources. 

For our first session, we will be focusing on Genesis 1-11. This is the "Primeval History" section before the Patriarchs, including two! creation stories (the "Seven Days" and the Garden of Eden), as well as Cain and Abel, the Flood and Noah, and the Tower of Babel. No background in the Bible is necessary, just a curiosity and willingness to learn! However, to maximize our time together, please read or skim Genesis 1-11 (from any translation) and come prepared to name something that surprised you, or a question you have after reading.

Session 2:

You are invited to join in studying the Bible critically and intelligently with Student Minister Bryan Bower, who specialized in modern Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary. Rather than taking these texts at face value, we will examine the signs that the text was compiled from older sources.

For our second session, we will be studying The Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three Gospels have some striking overlap, and when they are "seen together" it's clear that these texts repeat entire passages with the same or very similar language, and yet there are clear differences if you look carefully! If time permits, we may also look at the Gospel of John and consider its divergences. No background in the Bible is necessary, just curiosity and willingness to learn!

 
Please register here for whichever sessions you would like to attend.

If you have any questions, contact Jamie Walowitz, UUCSR’s Youth and Adult Faith Engagement Coordinator: jwalowitz@uucsr.org; 516.472.2943.