Jul
9
Written by:
host
7/9/2009 7:00 AM
I am not a fan of so-called "life application" Bibles or any curriculum with questions that dive too quickly into a "so what does this text tell us to do/think/believe" mode. The tendency of resources like these is to move the reader toward the right answer, the best application, the One Truth. In contrast, a good curriculum should provide a lot of room for learners to bring their experience to the text, to allow the biblical text to speak on its own terms, and to encourage deep questions to arise and linger.
One curriculum that does this incredibly well is a lectionary-based resource for adults called The Bible Workbench, published by The Educational Center. Although this resource has been around for 16 years, most Christian educators are unfamiliar with it; yet it's one of the best resources available for theologically-progressive congregations.
The Bible Workbench is unique in its focus on three questions: What is happening in the text? How is the story or text happening around us? and How is this story your story? The material does not focus on "finding out what the story really means," but instead it intends "...to engage the Secret of the Holy or Divine Mystery of the story that can never be fully captured or defined or held hostage or even understood." (Leader's Guide). The group facilitator is a "maieutic" leader, one who acts as a midwife to pose and encourage questions, rather than as an expert with knowledge and information to pass on.
Describing this resource succinctly is extremely difficult, so I strongly encourage you to spend some time after you finish my review with the sample lesson and description available on The Bible Workbench website. Briefly, the resource is...
- available for purchase on a subscription basis. It is important to note that the material is NOT reproducible and that each individual would ideally have his or her own subscription (full price for 1 year: $125, though it is currently on sale for $85.)
- filled with extensive reprinted material from superb books and journals
- guided by an advisory team that reads like a "Who's Who" of Christian education and formation: Thomas Groome, Marcus Borg, Mary Elizabeth Mullino Moore, Walter Wink, Frederick Borsch, William Herzog, II, and others.
- consistently progressive in theology and biblical interpretation (with writings by major biblical scholars), yet focused on spiritual formation and the inner life of the learner
- lengthy! Each lesson contains 15-20 pages of material for reading and reflection - more material than can possibly be covered in 1 session.
The Bible Workbench is showing its age, to be completely honest. For the most part, it has changed little since it was first released. It does not make great use of multiple intelligence theory, focusing primarily on the intrapersonal style. It does not have an email component as, for example, The Wired Word does. There are no images provided, nor are there music or video suggestions. Rev. Sheila Ennis, the new Executive Director of The Educational Center, told me in a personal conversation that there will be many "updates" coming to The Bible Workbench in the future, but it will take time to fully implement changes. I for one look forward to reviewing the material again some day for this reason.
Still, I think The Bible Workbench is one of the most appealing of the lectionary-based adult curriculum options on the market today, in large part because of the depth of the materials provided to students. This is not by any means a curriculum for every adult class, and it clearly requires an experienced or trained teacher who really understands the material's pedagogy. (In fact, attending a training session from the folks at The Educational Center is strongly recommended for leaders, as the material has no "step-by-step" guide and could be confusing to many teachers.) But for a class that is ready for something after a study like Living the Questions, a highly literate group that enjoys reading a wide variety of religious material, or a Bible study class that is searching for something deeper, The Bible Workbench is definitely a resource you should evaluate and consider.
~ by Tim Gossett