The divine, online
In an age when even the pope tweets, it is only natural that Harvard Divinity School (HDS) has created its first online, interactive learning experience, with help from HarvardX, the University-wide initiative to support faculty use of innovative technologies for teaching. The HarvardX course module, “Early Christianity: The Letters of Paul,” HDS1554.1x, taught by Laura Nasrallah, explores the context of the Pauline correspondence in the Roman Empire and the impact of these powerful texts today. “What was the impact of real-life slavery on Paul’s language of being a ‘slave of God’? How might changing a city’s calendar to begin with the savior’s birthday — that is, the Roman emperor’s — have affected religious life in the ancient world? This online course module aims to give students a context for answering these questions,” said Nasrallah, professor of New Testament and early Christianity at HDS. “It also invites students to participate in the continuing conversation...