The Book of Revelation, also known as the Apocalypse of John, is one of the most unusual and distinctive books of the New Testament. Many Christians – including Martin Luther – have questioned its inclusion in the Scripture at all. Throughout the years, Revelation has been used and misused. Just about every generation has seen the signs in their own times, and yet, the end has not come to pass. Where did Revelation come from? Who wrote it, and why did they write it? How do we read it? Most importantly, what role, if any, does this strange book play in our life today as disciples of Christ?

In this eight-week course, we will address all of these questions. We will explore the ways that Revelation draws on and relates to other Scriptural and para-Scriptural texts like the Book of Enoch. We will unpack the imagery that would have been better known to the original audience. We will see the ways that John uses language and narrative to challenge the ways Christians should relate to the world around them. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion of how Revelation has been used in the past and into today.

Participants will be asked to participate in small group discussions and will also be invited to do some small, optional, writing assignments.

The course will run for eight weeks on Thursdays at 2pm the beginning on October 2 at until just before Thanksgiving. The course will be offered both in-person in the Trinity Parish House and also via Zoom.