The Bible in the Orthodox Church

Course level:All Levels

Course Duration: 12h

Last Updated:February 8, 2026

This course is taught by:

Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc, Ph.D., Th.D., D.D.

Course Description

The continuing education course The Bible in the Orthodox Church by Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc, Ph.D., Dean of Holy Cross, consists of four lectures. Lecture One: Scripture Within Tradition; Lecture Two: Biblical Exegesis and Ancient Christian Interpretations; Lecture Three: Theological Themes: God and Humanity; Lecture Four: Christ in the Old Testament.

Taught as an interview between James C. Skedros, Th.D., Director of Continuing Education at Holy Cross and the course instructor, The Bible in the Orthodox Church lies at the crisscrossing of teaching and preaching—a live testimony of Fr. Pentiuc’s passion for God’s word vested in human words.

In addition to the lectures and live Zoom sessions, students will have access to readings that coincide with the topics associated with each lecture. The course is designed as an entree into how Scripture (The Christian Bible/The Old and New Testaments) imbues the entire life and content of the Church on the personal, liturgical and theological levels. An open heart and mind are the only prerequisites for the course.

1. become familiar with the notions of “Scripture” and “Tradition” and how these two interrelate with one another in the context of the Christian Orthodox church;
2. understand the differences between modern biblical exegesis and ancient Christian interpretations
3. get some insight into the Christian Bible by learning about two main theological themes, “God” and “humanity”;
4. learn about “Christ in the Old Testament,” namely, how did God’s revelation in the Old Testament prepare the way to Jesus Christ.

Course Modules

Week 1: Scripture and Tradition
a. Definition of Scripture b. Definition of Tradition c. Centrality of Scripture within Tradition d. Scripture as Part of the Prayerful Life

Lecture: Scripture and Tradition

58:07

Week 2: Biblical Exegesis and Ancient Christian Interpretation
a. Biblical Exegesis and Its Methodology b. Ancient Jewish and Christian Interpretations and the Four Assumptions c. Ancient Christian Orthodox Interpretation in Four Modes: Discursive and Liturgical (Aural, Visual) d. Any Nexus/Connection between Modern Biblical Exegesis and Ancient Interpretation?

Week 3: Theological Themes in the Old Testament: God (Trinity) and Humanity
a. God: Pluralism and Individualism b. Humanity: Unity and Diversity c. The Notion of Covenant d. The Two Brothers Parable: Judaism and Christianity

Week 4: Christ in the Old Testament
a. Messiah in the Old Testament b. Messianic Texts about the Messiah’s Mother c. Pre-existence of Messiah d. Passion, Death and Resurrection of Messiah