The Bible is not exactly the easiest book to read, understand, analyze and live by its rules. It's probably the most scripted and complicated book ever written, but since its the basis of Christianity, by all logic every Christian should read it and study it; after all, there's no time limit as to when should you be done studying. The thing is, Christianity as a religion should be accepted and the Bible should be introduced to people in their earliest ages, as in childhood. It's most logical that people will best accept the principles of Christianity when they're still in their best learning ages and “tabula rasa” or blank board, which means they're able to learn and accept anything. That's the point of the Alpha course; it consists of several lectures that have the sole purpose of introducing Christianity and the Holy Bible to new believers.
The Alpha Course is no news. The course was created back in 1980 in London and was specially designed to introduce new believers to Christianity. Apparently it had great success, so it's used today as well. The course consists of 15 sessions, meant to be finished in 10 weeks. Each sessions dedicates 25 minutes to an important question of life that has its roots in the Bible, such as how can I make the most out of the rest of my life, how can we have faith , why and how do I pray; and also essential questions of Christianity, such as who is Jesus, who is the Holly Spirit and how and why should one read the Bible. All these lectures are packed in 25 minutes lectures filmed on DVDs which makes them easy to reach by the wider public.
The point and purpose of the Alpha Course is to explore the meaning of life from a religious point of view; from God's perspective and angle, and try to introduce the whole concept to new believers in the easiest and simplest way possible. As such, the Alpha course is considered a-must in every school, university, prison, church, home.
However, there are certain dangers associated with the course. The entire compilation of lectures is assumed to fully rest on the gospel, and yet some important messages from it are neglected here, like the word of the God, the Cross, the reason for Christ's sacrifice and similar. And since nothing in the Bible can be discussed on its own, one should not study it in pieces.
Nevertheless, the sessions by themselves are powerful, relevant and provocative, so it's pretty much possible and expected that after watching the DVDs you'll be having a lively discussion over what you just watched. And the convenience of having them on DVDs allows you the comfort of watching the lectures on your own schedule, without having to depend on anyone's time. The lectures are transmitted via Nicky Gumbel, who has a great ability to communicate with people and express his thoughts and opinions on a manner that's easy to understand and accept.
So, enjoy your Alpha course and get ready to have some questions answered in a manner that will satisfy your hunger for knowledge and inner piece.
