The Urantia Book New Reader Course
Monday, June 6, 2022 3 pm PDT/ 4 pm MDT / 5 pm CDT / 6 pm EDT (10 pm GMT)
Participants who are interested in taking this online course must attend the Orientation session or watch a recording of it. A recording will be circulated to those registered for the class on Tuesday, June 7. The orientation session provides you with the opportunity to learn about course requirements and expectations and experience a guided tour of UUI's Online Campus.Register for the orientation session by clicking on the "Register Here" button. Note: If you already signed up on the waitlist, you do not need to register again. You should have received an email confirming your interest.
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Class Dates: Monday, June 13 - Monday, August 29, 2022 Live online class meetings: The course will feature a total of 10 online, real-time, class discussions in the Zoom meeting room for the course. There will be no class meeting on July 4 and July 18
Time: 3 pm PDT/ 4 pm MDT / 5 pm CDT/ 6 pm EDT (10 pm GMT) |
About the Class:
When spiritual seekers first encounter The Urantia Book, they are usually intrigued but often overwhelmed by its size and complexity and all the strange new terms and concepts. After initial attempts, many of them give up trying to read it. Without a little help, it is difficult for them to cross the threshold into a serious study of the text. And so they may never experience the joys and spiritual transformation that come from fully exploring this revelation. Urantia University Institute (UUI) has developed a New Reader Course, in cooperation with the Urantia Book Fellowship Education Committee, to help such fledgling readers cross the initial threshold, equipping them to comfortably begin a full exploration of the text and to participate in the growing Urantia movement. |
Course Outline The course is structured as a series of 10 weekly Zoom meetings, each about two and a half hours long, with no additional work requirements.
Week 1 After first getting to know a bit about each other’s spiritual journeys, and considering some often-asked questions about the book’s nature and origins, the first class meeting will focus on an overview of the course. We will emphasize personal sharing in all of the class sessions. Week 2 - Week 9 The heart of the course – the next 8 sessions – uses the book's "Table of Contents" and the natural grouping of the Papers as a sort of overview of the text, allowing us to “drop into” and briefly sample its many different “regions.” We will share many short passages, all of which have been carefully selected to both intrigue new readers and expose them to the incredibly varied types of material in the different sections of the text. Along the way we will explain many new terms ("morontia," "Thought Adjuster," "the Supreme", "Central/Super/and Local Universes," etc.), so that by the end of the course, students will be quite comfortable with the book’s “vocabulary.” Week 10 In the last session, in addition to summarizing and sharing our class experience, we will provide information on study groups, organizations, conferences and the culture of the emerging Urantia movement, in order to help new readers begin to participate, insofar as they are motivated. Philosophical Context of the Course The Course is rooted in the profound, relational context of spiritual family. It is designed not only to familiarize new readers with the structure and basic themes of The Urantia Book, but also to introduce new participants to the changed way of living that results from the truth that we are all children of God – sisters and brothers in spiritual family – a reality that transcends any and all religious, philosophical, and cultural differences. We hope this universal approach will allow everyone to feel comfortable and at ease. Click to view a more detailed Outline of the Course. Please note: The structure is a bit different from some of the other UUI classes. Since the entire course will occur in the live, online video conference each week, it is important that participants be able to attend most of the weekly sessions. Those who miss any of the sessions will be able to view a video recording of the Zoom meeting.
FAQ After I enroll, what happens next?
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The New Reader Course has been developed by Urantia University Institute (UUI), in cooperation with the Urantia Book Fellowship Education Committee, for the benefit of novice readers. UUI looks forward to partnering with all Urantian organizations and groups in presenting the New Reader Course to an ever-widening circle of students and welcoming them into our worldwide community of spiritual truth-seekers.