Seeking health and wholeness is being human, and the wisdom from antiquity regarding health offers immeasurable value and a firm basis. This course opens the pages of mostly forgotten books written by the earliest followers of Jesus. Although we discuss why these ancient texts were not included in the Bible and how they were re-discovered, our main interest for this course lies in the healing messages they contain. The more we ponder their meaning, the more we find resonance in Biblical teachings as well.
Students of this course do not need to know the Bible to understand and appreciate the healing messages we will explore in the extra-biblical books. But those who do know the Bible or have faith in it will discover how these more recently discovered texts add dimension to the whole picture of the early years of Jesus followers.
Since this is an introductory course, I presume you know little or nothing about the lost and forgotten books, gospels, letters, and texts written about a hundred years after Jesus. Some of them are controversial, some inspiring, and some quite confusing to modern readers. But I will introduce you to the ones we’ll use in the course – how to find them, how to read them, and how to understand their basic messages.
Who should or shouldn’t take this course?
· If you’re interested in expanding your ideas about healing…
· If you’re a scholar of religion without specific training in extra-canonical texts…
· If you want to alleviate suffering in the world or deal with tragedies and human sorrows…
· If you’re curious about what was going on during and after the New Testament time…
· If you like challenging yourself with big philosophical and religious ideas…
· If you are seeking deep answers to religious questions…
· If you have had some kind of uplifting, inspiring experience with a sacred text…
Then you definitely want to get going with this course!
On the other hand, if you have already studied the Coptic language and read Nag Hammadi literature…
If you are seeking the full interpretation of Nag Hammadi texts…
If you want to know all the ancient texts that touch on the subject of healing…
It’s better to skip this course and head to my other courses.
Do I need to purchase any study materials?
Nothing is required for taking the course. It is possible to complete the course using only free online references, but you may find it helpful to purchase a hard copy book (roughly $35). Further explanation about the resources you may wish to obtain will be in lecture 5.
What’s in the course?
After an introductory video, the course consists of six sections:
1. Understanding Early Christian Texts and Our Need For Healing
2. Identify Key Healing Principles from the Secret Revelation of John
3. Identify Key Healing Principles from the Tripartite Tractate and Dialogue of the Savior
4. Finding a Common Message of Healing from the Diverse Followers of Jesus
5. Healing Family Squabbles
6. It's Your Turn: How to Do It
What to expect in each section:
1. We’ll approach the search for healing in these texts by first identifying your own pain points – or the places you would like to see healing, or resolution, or transformation. Then I’ll explain a little about what happened to these texts written around the same time as the New Testament and how we can find and use them today. I’ll give you the resources you need, including links to free online courses, and references to a couple of books you may want to purchase. No purchase is necessary, but you might appreciate buying one or two of the books to enhance your study. You’ll also find four exercise sheets that will help you know how to find and use the texts.
About the instructor – Shirley Paulson, PhD.
I care about my students the same way I care about the subject matter in this course – passionately. The reason is that I have always wanted to alleviate suffering in the world and have spent my life searching for a better understanding of the love that heals, saves, and uplifts. I’m eager to support and encourage others who want to bring light and healing to the world as well.
My own journey began in my pre-teen years when I started asking the big questions about God, life, meaning, and spiritual existence. But my path has not been all intellectual. My heart guided me first. I worked as a volunteer in an inner-city school, because I wanted to understand the lives and needs of those who lived there. I have devoted myself to a healing career over twenty-five years, because I have compassion for those who are suffering.
And all during this ministry of love, my questions have never ceased. In my early adult years, I studied the Bible deeply and began to discover real healing messages in it. I began my healing career when my children were in school, and my questions persisted. I went to a Protestant seminary to learn how others thought about the Bible, and finally my questions led me on to further studies at the University of Birmingham, UK, where I completed my PhD in religion and theology. My research topic was what this course is all about: healing theologies in the ancient text, the Secret Revelation of John, and how those healing ideas can be made practical today.
Now that I have completed all this research, I am convinced that you don’t need a PhD to grapple with these ideas. In fact, I am confident that anyone with spiritual curiosity, a sincere desire to help others, and humility will succeed. I want to offer you a strong foundation for your success. I plan to build more courses beyond the introductory level, so I would appreciate your input as to what direction you would like to go after you complete this course.
