HIST 6/471 The Life and Times of Paul

Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:45-11:00am (ET)

Credit Hours: 3

Cost: $555 Audit; $2,205 Credit

Field Study Cost: TBA (Cost does not include flights)

Recorded Lectures: Yes

Note: This course will be delivered in a hybrid format. Online students will participate via live video stream from the classroom in Jerusalem. Because the instructor will be actively engaging with students in person, they may not always be centered on camera throughout the session. While every effort will be made to ensure a quality viewing experience, the course is designed to prioritize interaction with both in-person and online participants.

Description

This course is a narrative study of the life of Paul in Acts in light of historical, cultural, and geographical backgrounds with application to Christian faith, practice, and witness. This course has a field study component.

Objectives

By the end of the course, a student should be able to:

  • obtain a general overview of the life of Paul recounted in the Book of Acts;
  • identify the routes Paul likely travelled, the cities he visited, and the events that took place in each city;
  • gain a basic understanding of the people groups Paul encountered and the historical, cultural, and geographical settings in which he travelled;
  • recognize Paul’s missiological methodology and the factors that led to Christianity becoming a global movement; and
  • acquire a template from Paul’s life that will inform and calibrate Christian faith, practice, and witness.

Equivalencies

  • Geography
  • History
  • Biblical Studies
  • New Testament

 

Greece Field Study

This course is offered online with an in-person field study component. 

Dates: December 6-14, 2026

Description: At the conclusion of the semester, students will embark on a nine-day field study, studying the historical and archaeological background of cities visited by Paul during his second and third missionary journeys. Students will spend time in Thessaloniki, Philippi, Berea, Delphi, Olympia, Corinth, and Athens, including a day in and around the medieval monasteries perched on the formations of Meteora. The itinerary includes two travel days and seven days in Greece. This field study is mandatory for all students taking the course for credit. It is optional for audit students.

Sample Itinerary: View Here

Cost (flights not included): TBA

Registration Deadline: TBA
Field study registration and payment instructions will be emailed to students who first register for the course.

Informational Meetings: TBA

  • Registrations for info meetings will open in the summer of 2026.

Instructor

Dr. Chris Vlachos: M.A., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Ph.D., Wheaton College; Former Director of Semester in Jerusalem Program, Wheaton College. Published author. Began teaching at JUC in 2021.

Instructor: Dr. Chris Vlachos

Join this Course

New Online Students:
The JUC Online application is open for Fall 2026.

Apply Here for Fall 2026

Returning Online Students:
Re-application is not required. Course registration information will be provided via email and in your JUC Portal.

Register in Portal