In times of dispersion, individualism, and uncertainty, many Christians wonder how to live faithfully to the Gospel and keep hope alive. The Catholic Epistles, or Catholic Letters, answer this question.
This course proposes a prayerful and pastoral reading of the letters of James, Peter, John, and Jude. Written for all Christians, these epistles address themes such as: trials, unity, truth, love for one’s brother, perseverance, and combatting error. They illuminate the journey of the Church and discipleship today.
Father Weliton has a Bachelor of Philosophy (Assunção University Center), a Bachelor of Theology (Pontifical Faculty of Theology Our Lady of the Assumption), and a Master of Biblical Theology (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo). He teaches New Testament at the Institute of Theology for Lay People of the Diocese of Campo Limpo, São Paulo.
How often does prayer seem mechanical, repetitive, or distant from real life? Many Christians find it difficult to pray from the heart, authentically and deeply. The good news is that the Bible is also a school of prayer.
In this course, participants will learn to pray with the Word, especially the Psalms, which express all the feelings of the human soul before God. Praying with the Bible allows prayer to come not only from within, but also from the voice of God in dialogue with the human heart.
This second term of the introductory course on the Bible explores the Second Testament. All the course leaders hold a diploma from the centre’s Biblical School.
Many people long to understand their faith more deeply, but they stumble upon biblical texts that seem far from reality. The letter to the Romans is one such text: dense, full of theological terms, but fundamental to understanding salvation, grace, and the Christian mission.
This course helps to break down these barriers, by delving with clarity, spirituality, and method into the greatest and most profound letter written by Saint Paul. The aim is to transform reading into a path of personal conversion and concrete action.
The centre’s Bible School also runs a three-year diploma course endorsed by the Catholic University of Argentina and CEBITEPAL, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council’s formation centre.
Rabbi, educator, lecturer and author. He has written on biblical, Talmudic, Zionist and educational issues. His books include: A New Psalm: The Psalms as Literature and Ecclesiastes: Kohelet’s Search for Truth. Rabbi Benjamin lives in Jerusalem with his children and grandchildren.
God of all people: celebrating 60 years of Nostra Aetate
22/10/2025
14:00 - 15:30 (UK time)
English
Fr Adrian Graffy
Adrian Graffy received a doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He taught for many years at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh, UK. He is a parish priest in East London, and has been a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission since 2014.
Has there been a Jewish response to Nostra Aetate?
29/10/2025
14:00 - 15:30 (UK time)
English
Dr Debbie Weissman
Born in New York, moved to Jerusalem (1972). She gained a BA from Barnard College and an MA from NY University, both in sociology and a Ph.D in Jewish education from The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Her main field of academic research is the social history of Jewish women’s education. A prize-winning educator, Debbie has had extensive experience in both formal and informal Jewish education, both with Israelis and with Diaspora youth and adults. Debbie educated towards values of pluralism and openness. For many years she has developed a specialisation in teaching about Judaism to Christians and for 6 years she served as President of the International Council of Christians and Jews.
The centre’s Bible School also runs a three-year diploma course endorsed by the Catholic University of Argentina and CEBITEPAL, the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council’s formation centre.
Dr Margaret Barker has developed an approach to Biblical Studies now known as Temple Theology. Margaret read theology at the University of Cambridge and went on to pursue her research independently. She was elected President of the Society for Old Testament Study in 1998 and edited the society’s second Monograph Series, published by Ashgate. She has so far written 17 books, which form a sequence, later volumes building on her earlier conclusions.
La Carta a los Romanos y los Hechos de los Apóstoles
10/01/2026
Full time - residential
Rome, Italy
Spanish
Through classroom sessions led by experts, the course will offer tools to understand the literary, historical and theological aspects of the Letter to the Romans and the Acts of the Apostles, with reflections on their Jewish background and their value for the Christian faith.
Visits to Roman sites of historical, cultural and religious importance include:
Roman Forum
Basilica of St Peter
Basilica of St Mary Major
Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls
Catacombs of Callixtus
Jewish quarter (“Ghetto”, Great Synagogue, Jewish Museum)
Gregorian University
Trips further afield include:
Florence
Assisi
Accomodation: Casa Maria Immacolata, in the centre of Rome, close to the Vatican.
To find out more, please write to secretaria@cerjuc.com or send a WhatsApp message to +506 7018 4320.
The course was developed in partnership by the Centro de Estudios Bíblicos y de Relaciones Judeo Cristianas (CERJUC – San José, Costa Rica) and the Centre for Biblical Formation (CBF – Jerusalem).
This second module on the books of the Bible that narrate the history of the Israelites covers the books of 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. The objective of the course is to understand the historical context, the theology and the message of each historical book, and its relationship to the Pentateuch – the first five books of the Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Sr Cristiane has a Master’s Degree in Biblical Theology (Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo), a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Theology (Faculdade Jesuíta de Filosofia e Teologia, Belo Horizonte), a Postgraduate Degree in Jewish-Christian Culture: History and Theology (São Paulo), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy (Centro Universitário Assunção, São Paulo).
