Book by Book: Understanding the Bible
Do you wish you knew more about the Bible? Are there passages and references you don’t understand and wish you did?
Tenacre presents a workshop series “Book by Book: Understanding the Bible,” designed to help you learn better how to be your own Bible scholar. Whether you’re new to studying the Bible or have been reading it for years, these workshops will provide tools and insights that enhance your understanding and inspire your personal study.
What You'll Gain from the Book by Book workshop series:
Please bring a copy of the Bible and come having already read the book that will be the subject of the workshop you’ve registered for.
Admission is free and lunch and/or dinner are provided.
Overnight accommodations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to make a reservation.
Most people are familiar with the stories about Jesus—but the Gospel of John offers something strikingly different: a deeply reflective, spiritually rich portrait that has shaped Christian thought for centuries.
This two-day event facilitated by longtime Bible teacher Helen Mathis offers both an introductory entry point and a deeper workshop experience.
Attend one or both sessions.
This 2.5-hour session the evening before the workshop takes a close look at John 1 as the prologue to the Gospel—introducing the first disciples, including the mysterious “beloved disciple,” and exploring why this Gospel begins with the rich meaning of the Word (Logos) and not Jesus’s birth stories.
We’ll examine:
This session can stand on its own or serve as a foundation for Saturday’s workshop.
Why does the Gospel of John never refer to the disciples as apostles? What are Jesus’ “I AM” statements about, and why does Jesus speak in extended conversations rather than parables? What does this Gospel reveal, not just about Jesus but about the community struggling to understand what it means to follow him?
Saturday’s workshop builds on Friday’s introduction. Mathis will guide participants through a close, text-based exploration of key chapters in the Gospel of John, uncovering how this “maverick Gospel” understands what it means to be a disciple, presents a profound vision of the Christ as the living Word, and wrestles with questions of identity, belonging, and spiritual truth.
We’ll Explore:
Helen Mathis holds a master’s degree in biblical studies from the Pacific School of Religion and has spent over 25 years teaching and leading Bible and Christian history workshops across the country. She has served as Director of the Foundation for Biblical Research, where she helped develop programs for both lay audiences and clergy in partnership with leading scholars and institutions including Harvard Divinity School. Helen has also taught at Principia College and contributed to a multi-author Bible study curriculum. Earlier in her career, she served in the Peace Corps and spent nine years in Eswatini working in international education. She is co-creator of An Annotated Bibliography of Academic and Other Literature on Christian Science and currently resides in northern California.
Click on a past session below to view its details.
Saturday, Mar 28, 2026 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. ET
Speaker: Dr. Barry R. Huff
What do Exodus and Leviticus share—structurally, thematically, and theologically—and how can these connections inform our Bible study today?
In this workshop, Dr. Barry Huff—Professor of Religious Studies at Principia College—will guide us through an exploration of Exodus and Leviticus, revealing why understanding these texts—often skimmed or not fully understood—is essential to a fuller understanding of the Torah and its relevance to worship and ethics today.
Dr. Barry R. Huff is Professor of Religious Studies at Principia College, where he has taught numerous biblical studies courses since 2008. His doctoral dissertation explored connections between the book of Job and the Torah’s priestly texts, including Genesis 1; Exodus 25–31 and 35–40; and Leviticus. Huff is a co-editor of Seeking Wisdom’s Depths and Torah’s Heights: Essays in Honor of Samuel E. Balentine, and he addresses texts from Exodus and Leviticus in his essays in Seeking Wisdom’s Depths and Torah’s Heights, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, and Theology of the Hebrew Bible, Volume 2.
Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT
Did you know that having a firm grasp of the symbolism used in the first book of Genesis can deepen and expand your understanding of the rest of the Scriptures?
In this workshop, Bible enthusiast Jessica Charlston will take you through a transformative study of Genesis 1–11, including:
This workshop will help you read the Bible with more confidence and curiosity as we see and trace meaningful themes that weave their way through the Old and New Testaments, uncovering connections between stories that may previously have felt disjointed. Come prepared to see these familiar stories in a new light—one that illumines and enriches your personal study of the Scriptures.
Jessica taught Bible classes at Principia Lower School for many years, has served as a Christian Science nurse and ministers at camp in the summers and home settings and on baby cases during the rest of the year. She lives in St. Louis, MO, during the school year with her husband and three sons. An avid student of the Bible, she also chaperoned a memorable trip to Israel with Principia Upper School in 2022.
Saturday, July 12, 2025 | 10 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT
The Book of Job is well known for the adversity the book’s titular character faces—and the message of faith, endurance, and grace that he demonstrates. But did you know the book is often regarded as the Bible’s literary masterpiece and that it draws on the Hebrew Bible’s wisdom literature and creation texts?
In this one-day workshop, “The Book of Job and the Grace of God,” Dr. Barry R. Huff will explore why Job’s story continues to resonate with modern readers. You’ll come away with a better understanding of:
Barry wrote his Master’s thesis and Ph.D. dissertation on the book of Job. His essays on Job appear in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology; Seeking Wisdom’s Depth and Torah’s Heights; and Theology of the Hebrew Bible, Volume 2. Barry serves as Professor of Religious Studies at Principia College.
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 – 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Did you know that about a third of the Bible is written in poetry?
Join us for a workshop on the Bible’s Book of Psalms, the second in our Book by Book series.
Brian Stock will facilitate a hands-on exploration of the psalms’ rich poetic structure and guide you through their themes and forms. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of how Hebrew poets paired ideas together to deepen meaning and reflection, and a greater appreciation for the Psalms as a resonant masterpiece of spiritual poetry.
Brian is the President of Tenacre, a Bible enthusiast, and a student of ancient Hebrew. In his free time, he translates psalms from the original Hebrew into English.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 – 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET
In this day-long workshop, Evan MacDonald, Bible studies teacher at Principia, will illuminate the Gospel of Matthew and present tools to support ongoing individual study of the Scriptures.
Evan’s exploration of the Gospel will include:
Evan has taught Bible courses at Principia for more than 10 years; has led 10 international, Bible-oriented student trips to Israel and Greece; and is an invited speaker for Christian Science organizations and camps. He lives in St. Louis, MO, with his wife and three children.
