This event has already occurred
Slideshow image
Save to your Calendar

Christianity: Roots & Influences  

Have you ever wondered about the people, communities, controversial ideas and writings that impacted the formation of Christianity during its first few centuries? How did the ancient empires of Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome effect the infancy of our faith?  What about the influence of communities such as those who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Gnostics and their Nag Hammadi Library?  

What are the origins of our beliefs regarding Christ, the Trinity, human nature and original sin? Who wrote the stories of Jesus and his followers and who decided which of the many texts and letters would be included in the authorized collection of writings we now call the “New Testament”?  

This course is a look at the diverse influences in Israel at the beginning of the Common Era and why they are still vitally important to our Twenty-First Century faith and lives.  

The course is led by Bren Broadland, an active member of the United Church. It will run Wednesdays from 1-3 pm commencing on October 3 – December 5 and is limited to 10 participants. The suggested cost (to cover printing costs is $25). Please sign up on the welcome cart or email sturnbrook@northwood-united.org.  

Bren Brodland has designed and will be leading the course. Bren was raised in a Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian home with her elder brother and sister. She began asking questions at a very young age. For more than forty years she has been journaling about books she reads and ideas she encountered. This course is a product of those journals and other research. Currently, she and her spouse are active members of the United Church of Canada. They live in Langley, British Columbia.