St. Paul and Bible Scholarship
Lay Academy allows locals to take classes from Divinity faculty
Tuesday, September 5, 2006
Durham, N.C. -- James “Mickey” Efird believes America has a problem of “biblical proportions,” and he’s out to do something about it, one class at a time.
“There’s too much biblical misinformation afoot in the land,” said Efird, a long-time Duke Divinity School professor who regularly teaches Bible classes to community members in the school’s Lay Academy of Religion.
“Most people know or feel that there’s something wrong with what they’re being told [about the Bible] but they’re not sure what it is,” Efird said. “In the Lay Academy class, they come to interpret biblical literature in a way that makes sense.”
The program offers free nighttime and weekend courses in Durham and throughout the state, focusing on specific books or biblical topics. This month, Efird begins the semester’s schedule with a course on “First Corinthians,” Paul’s letter of guidance to the struggling young church in Corinth.
“I love this book because the problems Paul has with the church in Corinth are the same problems the church faces today,” Efird said. “Taking a look at how he deals with them can be helpful. It’s like looking in a mirror and saying, ‘That’s us.’ There are solutions if you listen to him.”
Efird said he enjoys spirited biblical discussions with laypeople. The classes attract a variety of adult learners from Duke and the wider community. Many are regulars who have taken several courses from Divinity School instructors in the program.
“I first took a course with Professor Efird a few years ago, and I think I’ve gone to every one he’s had since,” said Chapel Hill resident John Satterfield. “I got interested in Bible study a few years ago when I realized I didn’t really know much about the Bible.
“I grew up in a devout Methodist family and always went to church, but at some point I realized I didn’t know anything about any of it,” Satterfield said. “When I heard Mickey Efird talk about the Bible, all of it seemed new to me.”
Being taught by experts and people studying for the pastorate is a great opportunity, said Jane Millen, pharmacist in the pediatrics division of Duke Hospital. “I’m always challenged by the classes and leave them hungry for more.”