Situated in the heart of Jerusalem, this program enables the participants to explore in a new and deeper way the critical and familiar question:

“But you... who do you say that I am?”
Matt. 16:15

Emphasis is placed on:

• a study of the Bible through the text and excursions to explore the Land;
• a deeper understanding of Jesus and his heritage;
• Christian roots as found in Jewish traditions which shaped the religious experience of Jesus, and later, the church.

Students of the Biblical Formation Program are privileged to live in the heart of one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Holy Land – the Old City of Jerusalem. They share a unique experience of walking in the steps of pilgrims who come to the Land to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Word of God. The Ecce Homo Convent is situated in the Old City between Damascus Gate and Lion’s Gate. From its terraces one can see the Temple Mount, a panoramic view of the Old City and the Mount of Olives.

Within the convent is a second century arch built at the time of Hadrian, pavement stones inscribed with a ‘Game of Kings’ from the Second Temple Antonia Fortress and cisterns also dating from the time of Jesus. Since its construction in the 1860’s and situated on the Via Dolorosa, the convent has been open to pilgrims wanting to pray and recall the events of the passion of Jesus as close as possible to the actual site. The house is also open to pilgrims seeking a place of residence during a shorter or longer stay in the Holy Land.

The Centre for Biblical Formation was established at Ecce Homo in 1982 in response to an expressed need of clergy, religious and lay people wishing to come to the Holy Land during a Sabbatical year or a vacation period.

There were and remain in Jerusalem several internationally recognized institutes e.g. Bat Kol Institute, Franciscan Biblical Studium, French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem (Ecole Biblique), Pontifical Biblical Institute, Tantur Ecumenical Institute for Ecumenical Studies and others. These institutes welcome scholars and students to follow courses and/or to pursue research for longer or shorter periods.

In the early 1980’s there was no English or French program offering the opportunity for renewal, biblical reflection and study along with the pilgrimages/excursions for lay people, religious and clergy. The Centre for Biblical Formation took up this challenge and has continued to respond to this need.

The Centre for Biblical Formation is for people who wish to further their knowledge of the Scriptures and to discover or re-discover the Land of the Bible. It is open to Christians who wish to study the origins of their faith, exploring the religious, cultural, historical, political and social context in the Land where the Word of God took flesh. It is for Christians who wish to be enriched by the unique experience of being in a land where Jews, Christians and Muslims give expression to their living faith today.

The aim of this Program is to provide a context and content for students to be able to further their knowledge and deepen their understanding and appreciation of the Word of God. Made alive by competent teachers/professors/lecturers, the program places special emphasis on the study of a selected numbers of books in the Bible. The Program introduces a reading of the Scriptures according to Christian and Jewish sources and traditions. It also offers a course on the diverse Oriental Churches in the Holy Land and on Islam.

The period of study, 12 hours per week, is punctuated by excursions. The excursions, including journeys to Mount Sinai and to Galilee, enable students to be in touch with the Biblical and spiritual dimensions of the peoples of the Land where the Word came and continues to come to life. They also open up a world of discovery in the fields of archaeology, geography and history.

Students are awarded with a certificate of completion of courses offered during the program. Since the Centre is not primarily an academic institute, it does not offer credits for university degrees.

Remarks

Change of Pace
Students are likely to find a significant contrast between their former activities and ministries and the different pace of life in the Holy Land. Time for reorientation and adjustment is taken into account to address this change with lectures of 12 hours per week on 4 mornings. The slower pace enables more time and extended periods to be given to prayer, personal reflection, study and exploration of the Land. Those interested in further study and personal research can be helped to find a professor to guide them in this process.

Free Time
In general weekends and afternoons are free. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this free time to visit some of the many sites that cannot be fitted into the Program’s schedule, always with the recommendation to journey with a companion or group.

Weekend Liturgies
Students have a unique opportunity to participate in the different Christian Liturgies celebrated in the many Western and Eastern Rites in and near the Old City of Jerusalem. Students will be offered opportunities to be present at and/or participate in Jewish liturgies and to become aware of the Islamic form of prayer in the Holy Land.

This program is especially for teachers and preachers so that they combine a solid study of a Gospel with excursions to the places significant for the life of Jesus. The program explores one of the Gospels, usually the Gospel which will be the liturgical focus for the coming year. In 2009 Luke’s Gospel will be explored and in 2010 it will be Matthew’s Gospel.

The Program will include 22 hours of lectures on the Gospel for that particular year, some group work, some days in Galilee, an overnight in the desert and many hours of excursions to places of biblical importance in and around Jerusalem, including Bethlehem, Jericho and Ein Karem. There is also an opportunity to encounter the people of the land in their rich present day religious, denominational, cultural and political diversity. This is a busy program and those taking it are advised to arrive the day prior to the commencement.

In 2009 Mrs Merrill Kitchen will be the Lecturer on the Gospel of Luke.
Mrs Merrill Kitchen BAppSc., BTheol, TheolM. is an endorsed minister in the Churches of Christ movement and Principal of the Churches of Christ Theological College in Melbourne, Australia. She began a journey of theological learning which was stimulated by many questions that had arisen during her time in the Holy Land. Her postgraduate theological studies have been in the area of social, political and cultural readings of the New Testament.

In 2010 Fr Murray Watson will be the Lecturer on the Gospel of Matthew.
Father Murray Watson is a priest of the diocese of London, Ontario ( Canada), where he lectures in Biblical Studies on the faculty of St. Peter's Seminary. He has pursued graduate studies in Rome, Jerusalem and Dublin, where his doctoral work focussed on how Biblical translations can promote Jewish-Christian dialogue. Murray has been actively involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue and education in various places, and is particularly interested in the first-century Jewish context of the New Testament, as well as intersections between Jewish and Christian Biblical interpretation.

This Program traces the life of Jesus from birth to death and resurrection, with particular attention to the first century setting of the Gospel traditions. The classes are of a more general nature and do not presume a biblical background. Visits and excursions are arranged to compliment the lectures and include some days in Galilee, the place of Jesus’ childhood and much of his ministry. There is an ancient tradition that understands the Holy Land as the fifth Gospel because it too tells the story of Jesus. Thus, the excursions are an integral part of the Program and include Bethlehem, Jericho, Ein Karem as well as visits to many places within Jerusalem. This facilitates the study of the text within its geographical and historical contexts.

There will be opportunities for breaking open the Word of God together using Jewish and Christian traditions of interpretation.

Classes on Judaism and Islam are offered as well as some exposure to present day worship and reality of the three Abrahamic faiths through visits and lectures. There will be opportunities to explore the current political situation. The diversity of peoples, cultures, religions and Christian denominations in Jerusalem makes living in the Old, walled, city an education in itself.