Concordia Seminary, St. Louis will host its fall Lay Bible Institute at two different locations this year. One class will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 in Sieck Hall at Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis. The other class will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Oct. 10, 17 and 24 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 503 S. Service Road, O’Fallon, Mo.

The class at Concordia Seminary will be “Journey with Jonah” taught by Prof. R. Reed Lessing. “Perhaps the very name ‘Jonah’ brings to mind a prodigal prophet, a surging sea, a powerful preacher, and a city of needy Ninevites,” says Prof. Lessing. “But Jonah is more than just another ‘fish story.’ The four chapter book packs a powerful punch for God’s people today.” The study will not only cover the issues of Jonah’s historicity, but will also engage in the practical truths presented in the book relating to living in the 21st century.

The class at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, will be “Justification and Catholicism: Agreement or Not?” presented by Dr. Ronald R. Feuerhahn. On Oct. 31, 1999, representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church signed the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.” Media reports described this event as a significant breakthrough in healing the division brought about at the time of the Reformation. Official statements from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod were highly critical of the document, calling it “a betrayal of the Gospel.” Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn will explain the roots of the document in the Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogs, examine its content, evaluate the praise and criticism it has received, and share implications of the document for inter-church relationships.

Prof. R. Reed Lessing is assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary. Until 1999, Prof. Lessing served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Broken Arrow Oklahoma. Dr. Ronald R. Feuerhahn is associate professor of historical theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. For 13 years he served as a parish pastor in England, and for nine years was preceptor at Westfield House, Cambridge, England. He has been at Concordia Seminary since 1986.

To register for the Lay Bible Institute classes, call Debbie Roediger at (314) 505-7105 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $15 per person per course and includes course handouts and breaks.