Published on August 2, 2017 by Gerald Smith  
Hodge Chapel Fall

Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School will resume its Lay Academy of Theology courses this fall. The academy has offered courses since 2001. They bring in a diverse crowd of adult learners of different ages looking to deepen their sense of Christ and the Bible. The body of approximately 70 students consists of members of the community, avid church goers and ministers.

“Students take the classes to advance their understanding of Scripture, and they want to take classes with professors from Beeson Divinity School,” said Jim Pounds, who oversees the Lay Academy of Theology.

Evening classes will start Sept. 25 with Six of Twelve (Part 2): Nahum to Malachi. Mark Gignilliat invites students to explore God’s Word through six books of the Bible to gain insight into the force of powerful prophecy warnings.

Starting Sept. 26, Gerald McDermott will teach Divine Signs: God’s Fingerprints in all Reality. This series will explore signs of divinity in nature, science, law, history, sports and love.

For six Thursday nights starting Sept. 28, Sydney Park will explain essential components of Jesus’ high priesthood in Theology of Hebrews.

The Lay Academy of Theology also offers weekday courses taught by Doug Webster and Gerald Bray. Webster’s course, The Household of Faith: What Every Believer Should Know About the Church, begins Sept 28 and will explore the deep biblical roots of the priesthood of all believers. Bray’s course, The Pastoral Epistles, will begin Jan. 24, 2018, taking students through First and Second Timothy and Titus. 

For more information, go to beesondivinity.com/lay-academy

Gerald Smith is a journalism and mass communication major and a news and feature writer in the Division of Marketing and Communication.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.