12 Days of Christmas, 12 Amazing Courses
01-06-2015
By Deborah Kapp
“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was either composed or adapted to teach Christian tenets to children. McCormick has lots of opportunities this semester to learn about each of them!
A Partridge in a Pear Tree represents Jesus Christ. There’s a great Christology course taught by our friends at the Catholic Theological Union to learn more about what Christ’s humanity and divinity mean in today’s world: Christology and Culture.
The two turtle doves symbolize the two testaments of the Christian Bible. You can learn to read both in their original languages with Paula Hiebert and Sarah Tanzer in Hebrew Exegesis and Greek Exegesis.
Three French Hens stand for the three moral virtues as Paul defines them in 1 Corinthians 13:13: Faith, Hope, and Love. Learn about how these virtues guide Christian action and thought in Reggie Williams’ Introduction to Christian Ethics.
Four Calling Birds represent the four gospels. Sarah Tanzer’s course on The Gospels will give you a thorough understanding of how they are interpreted together and individually.
Five Gold Rings symbolize the five books of the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Kelly Whitcomb will cover these and their influence on the rest of the Hebrew Bible in her introductory course.
Six Geese a-Laying stand for the six days of creation as described in Genesis 1. It’s a controversial topic right now, and you can learn more by taking Anna Case-Winters’ and Linda Eastwood’s class Religion and Science.
Seven Swans a-Swimming represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and compassion (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-11). Reflection on the Practice of Ministry guides students through their experiences as they cultivate each of these gifts in their internships.
Eight Maids a-Milking symbolize the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-10. This particular scripture passage has inspired social justice movements throughout the centuries. Learn about how they guide us today in Deborah Kapp’s course The Church and Social Change.
Nine ladies dancing stand for the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). ). JoAnne Lindstrom is offering Spirituality for Faithful Discipleship, a course that will help you nurture and cultivate these gifts in your ministry.
Ten Lords a-Leaping represent the Ten Commandments (Gen. 20:1-17). These commandments address the darker side of human nature, which we must wrestle with. Sharon Ellis Davis takes on some of these heavy issues in her course on Sexual and Domestic Violence.
The Eleven Pipers Piping symbolize the eleven faithful disciples, who were charged to go out and teach. Learn about how to educate faithful disciples in creative ways with Lib Caldwell’s course God, Faith, and Art.
And finally, the Twelve Drummers Drumming stand for the Twelve Doctrinal Tenets of the Apostles Creed. Learn how we can incorporate our creeds and other doctrinal tenets in worship with Cláudio Carvalhaes in his introductory worship course: The Work of the People in the World.
Interested in all the courses that McCormick has to offer? Check out our current course offerings. But that’s not all! To see all of the amazing courses that you could enroll in through our Chicago-wide seminary partnerships, check out the ACTS course catalog!
Partridge = Christ
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Dr. Deborah Kapp, McCormick’s expert on urban ministry
Art as exegesis and spiritual discipline