Center for Christian Studies

Center Structure

Changing Times...Changing Seasons

The Center for Christian Studies provides the congregation of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and other interested people in New York City opportunities to engage in intellectual and spiritual inquiry as part of a life-long process of learning about and strengthening Christian faith.
The Center provides a rich, broad, and diverse curriculum taught in five disciplines: Bible, Theology, Church History, Practical Theology/Christian Living, and Literature and the Arts.

The Center offers classes in each discipline which range from basic "core" courses to more in-depth coverage of the above-mentioned areas. Core courses are foundational to the Christian faith and serve as a platform
for further study. The upper level courses offer more in-depth treatment of subjects and issues that can deepen their understanding of themselves and their faith. The flexible academy format allows participants to sample courses across each of the disciplines or to focus exclusively in a single area according to their individual preferences. Through all of its courses, the Center seeks to equip persons to live
and work thoughtfully and compassionately in today’s demanding world.

From its beginning in 1996, the Center for Christian Studies has been sustained and guided by a strong partnership of committed clergy and laity working together. This year is no exception as the committee and
staff have prepared an exciting and thought-provoking curriculum. The faculty is a talented mix of pastors, staff, and lay people from Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church which is supplemented with teachers
and other experts drawn from area seminaries, universities, and other professional settings.

The theme for 2007-08 is “Changing Times...Changing Seasons.” It is meant to extract wisdom and meaning from changes of all sorts. It is particularly suited to the transitional period at Fifth Avenue
Presbyterian Church as it begins to search for a new senior pastor. The theme has scriptural underpinnings from the second chapter of the book of Daniel where Daniel is praising God as the only being with the wisdom and power to change the time and the seasons after God has given Daniel the wisdom to see and interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s troublesome dream and thereby saving all of the wise men of Babylon from execution threatened by the king. We trust the courses tied directly to the theme will help participants recognize, discern, and embrace changes of all sorts in their lives.

The Center for Christian Studies will also continue to offer meaningful courses which stem from participant feedback or extend concepts from particularly wellreceived classes. Some of the noteworthy 2007-08 offerings include:

• A full-year study of the entire Bible taught by the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian clergy.
• A single day seminar in medical ethics and related topics taught by the Dean and faculty of the Weill Cornell Medical School.
• A seminar unveiling the result of a world wide poll conducted by the Gallup Organization covering Islamic persons views of Americans and related topics.

We invite and encourage you to take time this year to grow deeper in your faith through participation in the courses offered in this catalog.

Theme for the Year 2007 - 2008
Theme Courses marked with this symbol (at left) are directly related to the theme for the 2007 - 2008 year Changing Times...Changing Seasons, which focuses on Daniel 2:21.

Term 1
B122 Leadership in the Bible: A Kerygma Course - Ariane Arpels-Josiah
B273 The Past is the Key to the Present: Archaeology, the Bible, and Our Unchanging World - Gordon Franz
T228 The Meaning of a Presbyterian Calling - Thomas Gillespie
PTCL288 Transitions and Change: Blessing or Potential Crisis? - Joy Carol

Term 2
CH218 Mainline on the Sideline - Mary E. McNamara
PTCL120 Reframing: Creative Techniques for Exploring Different Ways of Seeing Things - Elizabeth Matta
PTCL122 How to Select a Preschool for Your Child - David and Karen Liu
PTCL290 Christian Response to Climate Change - Jane Carter Ingram
PTCL332 The Quest for Security in an Insecure World - Robert F. Smylie

Term 3
CH106 History of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church - Dale Hansen
CH219 Religion in the City: Exploring New York - Dale T. Irvin
CH220 Revivals and Awakenings in America: From the Puritans to the Second Great Awakening - James Moorhead
PTCL213 Conflict Management: Caring Conduct + Creative Resolution - Daryl A. Hall
LA240 If Music be the Food of Love, Play on: How Music Changes Lives - Eugenia Yau

Term 4
B123 Becoming a Woman of Purpose - Virginia Willis and Zoe Lazarides
CH223 The Making of America: How the Bible Shaped American Practices and Ideals - Edward Ekermeyer
PTCL123 Creating a Vision for Your Life - Jill Paine
PTCL289 Spiritual Passages: Growing in Grace - Joy Carol

Term 5
CH224 The Church’s Role in the Civil Right’s Movement: Help or Hindrance? - J. Oscar McCloud
PTCL124 Overview of the Muslim World via the Gallup World Poll - Jamie Kravitz
PTCL333 A New World Order: Scenarios for the Future - Robert F. Smylie