Jeremiah: Pain and Hope for Troubled Times

The prophet Jeremiah ministered to disobedient Israel, urging them to return to God, and warning of judgment. The people refused his message and experienced the dislocation and disruption of exile. The book is raw and at times graphic and shocking, and reflects the pain, pathos, and anguish of the prophet, the people, and even God. Yet amidst the darkness of Jeremiah’s ministry, the faithfulness of God sustained the prophet and held out to the people the promise of hope. Working closely with the text in its historical, literary, and canonical contexts, and utilizing the insights of trauma studies and readings from the church around the globe and across time, this course attends to the book’s message for Jeremiah’s contemporaries and its exilic compilers, and finds its resonance in our own uncertain times. For any who wrestle with God or seek to find him in difficult times, for any who minister to God’s people in the midst of such challenges, and for any who desire a fuller understanding of God’s faithful work amidst his people, this course will enliven and challenge.