EFM is a continuing education program for lay persons that is offered by the School of Theology at the University of the South.
Participants meet in seminar groups one night a week during the academic year.
The full program covers four years. The curriculum includes Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, and Christian Theology Participation in these seminar groups gives the lay person an opportunity to explore foundations of the faith on a deeper level than what may be available in other study opportunities. For instance, in the first year study of the Hebrew Scriptures you will learn about the various scholarly hypotheses concerning the authors of the Old Testament books and you will explore the historical and cultural context within which the recounted events may have occurred. The creation stories and the flood story in the Book of Genesis will be compared to similar stories in other ancient cultures. In addition to the study curriculum, seminar participants learn and experience methods of theological reflection.