The Bible, Reintroduced
Third Wednesday of each month, September 2026 through March 2027
7:00 to 8:00pm on Zoom (meeting ID: 894 5360 1844 | passcode: 638946)
Who wrote the Bible? And when? What does it mean to call it the Word of God? How do we engage passages that have inspired profound compassion and justice, as well as those that have been used to justify violence and oppression?
Whether you’re opening the Bible for the first time or have been reading it for decades, The Bible, Reintroduced offers a chance to encounter one of the world’s most influential—and most misunderstood—texts with new eyes. Rather than seeking easy answers, we’ll learn to embrace the Bible in all its weirdness and all its wonder.
Together, we’ll explore how the Bible came to be, how context changes the way we read it, and how Christians have interpreted Scripture across the centuries. The goal is not simply to understand the Bible better, but to discover how these ancient texts might help us live more fully and faithfully today.
Our readings will center on A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible, by Kristin Swenson, Ph.D., with additional resources throughout the year. Each session stands on its own, and no prior knowledge is necessary.
Stay Connected
Join the mailing list to have updates and readings sent straight to your inbox. Email Rev. Brendan Nee (bnee@stannholytrinity.org) with any questions.
Meet the Author: Kristin Swenson, Ph.D.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2026, 7:00–8:00pm, on Zoom
Click here to join the Zoom meeting (meeting ID: 894 5360 1844 | passcode: 638946)
We are thrilled to launch our course in conversation with biblical studies scholar Kristin Swenson, Ph.D. She is the author of A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible, which will guide our (re)introduction to the Bible.
Join us Wednesday, September 16, 7:00–8:00pm on Zoom for a presentation from Kristin, followed by Q&A. She will share about the possibilities that open up when we embrace the Bible’s weirdness as curious and compassionate people of faith.
KRISTIN SWENSON, PH.D.
Kristin Swenson, Ph.D., is the author of several books reflecting her academic specialty in biblical studies. These include A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible, Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About Book of All Time, and Living through Pain: Psalms and the Search for Wholeness. Her four-volume saga of historical fiction, including Howl of the Golden Jackal, brings to life the world of ancient Babylon and Persia. Passionate about the natural world and the intersection of ecology and spirit, Kristin wrote God of Earth: Discovering a Radically Ecological Christianity and has developed multi-media installations and a formal practice to address eco-grief. She co-hosts The Writer’s Story podcast and (occasionally) maintains the Pretty Good Kitchen website, anchored in sustainability and joy. Kristin lives and works in Charlottesville, Virginia. Learn more on her wesbite, kristinswenson.com.
Reading Schedule
Our readings will center on A Most Peculiar Book: The Inherent Strangeness of the Bible, by Kristin Swenson, Ph.D. Throughout the reading schedule, it is abbreviated as “AMPB.”
It can be purchased for about $30 anywhere books are sold; or, reach out to Rev. Brendan Nee (bnee@stannholytrinity.org) to request a free copy. Additional readings will be added below as we near the start of the 2026–27 program year.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2026
- [PDF] AMPB, Introduction: “An Arranged Marriage” (pp. xiii–xviii)
- [PDF] Rowan Williams, “Bible,” in Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer (Cambridge: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2014)
OCTOBER 21, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 1: “A Problematic Book” (pp. 3–26) and Chapter 2: “But in the Original …” (pp. 27–36)
NOVEMBER 18, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 3: “God” (pp. 39–59)
DECEMBER 16, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 6: “Impossibilities, Normalized” (pp. 105–19) and Chapter 7: “Misconceptions, Misapprehensions” (pp. 120–45)
- [Web] “Faith and Science in the 21st Century,” read or listen to an interview with former presiding bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (October 11, 2015)
- [Web] David Paulsen, “Churches consider alternate Good Friday liturgies, Bible translations over concerns of anti-Jewish interpretations,” on Episcopal News Service (April 12, 2022)
JANUARY 20, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 9: “Arguments behind Closed Doors” (pp. 165–85)
FEBRUARY 17, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 10: “Biblical (Im)morality” (pp. 186–207)
MARCH 17, 2026
- AMPB, Chapter 12: “Ten Commandments for Reading the Bible” (pp. 218–232)