Participants in the EFM program study the entire sweep of the Christian tradition from the earliest period to the present. Participants learn the disciplines of biblical exegisis and interpretation, systematic theology, church history, ethics, liturgies and ascetical theology. The traditional content is not studied in a vacuum. Students belong to small "communities of learning" in which the events of each person's life may be examined in the light of the materials being studied. While the course materials provide substantial academic content, the focus of the program is on life as ministry and understanding that ministry. EFM provides Christians with that basic skill which is the foundation of all Christian ministry - theological reflection. In doing this, participants sharpen their skills of personal and cultural assessment and enhance abilities to be effective in a variety of ministries. Outline of Reading Materials: The program recommends thirty-six group meetings during the course of an academic cycle. New members begin with the first lesson of Year One. Participants in the same group may be studying at different levels. They read thirty-three chapters of academic content and five common lessons which help the group to get started, to learn to reflect theologically, and to develop its spirituality. Many groups begin the year by reading a dramatization of the Gospel of Mark. You may download a copy of the dramatization here along with a sign-up sheet to assign parts. Gospel of Mark Dramatization Gospel of Mark parts
The First Year - The Old Testament Overview of the History of Israel - Introduction to the Critical Study of the Scriptures The Book of Genesis - The Themes of Creation, Sin, Judgment and Redemption - Beginning the Study of Theology, Ethics and Liturgics The Exodus-Sinai Event and the Establishment of the Tribal Confederacy in Canaan - The Covenant of God with His People - The Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, and 1 Samuel The Rise of the Monarchy - The Books of 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, Deuteronomy, Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah of Jerusalem, Jeremiah and Ezekiel Exilic and Post-Exilic Judaism - Judaism at the Beginning of Christianity Second Isaiah - Ezra - Nehemiah - The Chronicler - The Psalter The Wisdom Literature The Maccabean Revolt Judaism and the World of Jesus	The Third Year - Church History The Early Church Fathers Gnosticism - Montanism - The Apologists Irenaeus - Clement - Origen - The Great Cappadocians - Athanasius - Tertullian - Augustine Nicea to Chacedon Early Liturgies - Spirituality: Monasticism, Mysticism and Prayer The Medieval Church - Aquinas - Bonaventure Secularism, Religious Dissent - The Reformation: Luther and Calvin - the Catholic Reformation - the Radical Reformation - Anglicanism, Puritanism, Pietism Christianity in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries - The Industrial Revolution John Wesley: The Methodist Church
The Second Year - The New Testament Greek Culture - The Roman Empire Judaism and the Second Temple Biblical "Criticism" and the Gospels - The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John - the Life of Jesus - the Mighty Acts of Jesus - the Cross of Jesus - the Exaltation of Jesus The Acts of the Apostles Pauline Christianity and the Epistles The Letters of John Hebrews - 1 Peter - James - 2 Peter - Jude The Revelation of John	The Fourth Year - Theological Choices Nineteenth Century Anglicanism American Church History The Emergence of Modern Religious Thought - The Rise of Science - Kant - Schleiermacher - Hegel - Kierkegaard - Sartre - Camus - Whitehead - Tillich - Moltmann - Cobb - Pittenger Modernism - The Rise of Biblical Criticism - Ritschl - Barth - Bultmann De-Mythologizing and Neo-Orthodoxy - The Rise of Fundamentalism The Liturgical Movement - The Crisis of Suffering - The Theology of Liberation Christianity and Religious Pluralism - Non-Christian Religions - 21st Century Challenges