Jeremiah the Theologian

In this series we’ll encounter one of the most beautiful– and difficult– books in Tanakh: the book of Jeremiah (Yirmiyahu). Through close readings of select passages, we’ll explore both what Jeremiah says and how he says it, and we’ll pay special attention to the many fascinating theological issues raised by the text. Some of the questions we may consider include: the relationship between doom and hope– and by extension, between divine anger and divine love; the role “the word of God” is supposed to play in the world; what it means to be a prophet, and what relationship that role creates with God, with community, and with people in power; the relationship between law and love; the idea that God suffers to the point of open weeping; and the dangers of conventional religion.