Biblical Anthropology – Genealogies
*If you have already enrolled and paid the enrollment fee, just wait until the course starts (2 November). The error message “This course is closed” will be corrected shortly.
How to Enroll?
Enrollment in the course consists of two steps:
- Pay the €30 fee in EventBrite:
- Register by clicking on the Enroll button above
IMPORTANT: Please use the same email address for both the payment and registration steps. Enrollment grants you access to live or recorded classes and a certificate from the Universidade Lusófona, subject to passing the assessments.
About the Course:
Biblical Anthropology offers a reading of the Bible through the lens of Cultural Anthropology. To fully understand the biblical text, it is essential to have some knowledge of the society behind it. Knowing information about its authorship, the period it was written, and its intended audience opens our eyes to the true meaning of the text. Genealogies may be one of the least appreciated parts of the Bible by its readers. However, their content and significance are crucial for understanding the stories recorded in this book. A genealogy contains details that can unlock mysteries and expand our knowledge about key figures in the history of Israel. In this course, we will introduce students to the terminologies and practices used in anthropology for the study of kinship, applying these concepts to the biblical text. Through practical activities, students will learn how to interpret a biblical genealogy, developing an appreciation for its reading and study.
Who Should Take This Course?
The course is open to everyone: curious individuals, general scholars and those interested in the history of Christianity, students and teachers of religious studies and theology, religious leaders, pastors, laypeople involved in religious/church activities, pastoral agents, educators, and community leaders.
Are There Any Prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites for taking this course, just a willingness to learn and an openness to dialogue with other participants.
When Does It Start?
The course begins on November 2, 2024. It runs for 4 Saturdays, ending on November 23.
How the Classes Are Conducted
Classes will be held live on Saturdays at 3 PM (Brazil) / 6 PM (Portugal) via the Zoom platform. Each class will last for 1 hour of lecture, followed by 30 minutes for questions and discussions. The classes will be recorded and made available on the course page for student access.
How Assessment is Conducted
Assessment is organized into two parts:
- Completion of exercises for each class (4 total)
- Submission of a brief learning report at the end of the module, 1 to 3 pages in length.
The final grade for the course will be weighted as follows:
- Exercises: 40%
- Final Report: 60%
The course concludes on November 23, 2024.
The final report must be submitted in PDF or DOC format by December 7, 2024.
COURSE PROGRAM:
Class 1: Kinship and Descent
Summary: Kinship relations, filiation, descent, inheritance transmission, and the terminologies and notation systems used for their anthropological study.
Class 2: Sex, Marriage, and Family
Summary: Anthropological study of marriage rules, incest, levirate, sororate, types of conjugal unions, and family relationships.
Class 3: Genealogies in the Old Testament
Summary: A theoretical-practical class on how to interpret Old Testament genealogies within their cultural context for better understanding of the biblical text.
Class 4: Genealogies in the New Testament
Summary: A theoretical-practical class on how to interpret New Testament genealogies within their cultural context for better understanding of the biblical text.
Meet the teacher
Lidice Meyer Pinto Ribeiro
Lidice Meyer Pinto Ribeiro holds a Postdoctoral degree in Anthropology and History from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in Globalization Studies at the Universidade Aberta de Portugal. She earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of São Paulo and holds a Master’s degree in Ethnobotany from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/National Museum, Brazil. She is a professor in the Master’s program in Religious Studies at Universidade Lusófona de Portugal, at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Portugal, Uniaberta in Brazil, and Moriah College. She is also a Researcher at the Chair of Global Studies at the Universidade Aberta de Lisboa (CIPSH). Additionally, she is a member of the Institute of Contemporary Christianity (ICC) and the Portuguese Society for the History of Protestantism (SPHP), and serves as an evaluator for the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) and various international academic journals.
Lidice has over 20 years of experience at the Presbyterian University Mackenzie in São Paulo, Brazil, where she coordinated the Graduate Programs in Theology, Philosophy, and Pedagogy, and served as a professor in the Master’s program in Religious Studies, as well as in undergraduate Theology and other courses. She is a commentator and consultant on religion and anthropology for social media, TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. In Brazil, she has participated as an interviewee or consultant in various specials for Bandeirantes, Record, Globo, SBT, Cultura, and Brasil Television Networks. In recent years, she has focused on Biblical Anthropology, with a special emphasis on the study of women in the Bible and Christianity, teaching several courses on this topic. She has published books and articles in the fields of religion, history, anthropology, and ethnobotany. Her research has taken her to Rome (Vatican Secret Archives, Historical Archive of Propaganda Fide, and the Pontifical Gregorian University), as well as Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, the United States, and Brazil.
Webpage: https://www.lidicemeyer.pro/