There is no better place to study the four canonical gospels than in the place where the drama of salvation was acted out. The holy places in the land where the Savior walked speak so powerfully of the work of redemption that the land is rightly called “the fifth gospel.” The learning in this course will primarily take place not online, but on site for ten days in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Galilee. Prior to and subsequent to the trip, there will be some fascinating reading and online discussion which will be the basis for a term paper to be submitted at the end of the class eight week period. The primary goal of this interdisciplinary course will be to give the student insight into the Bible that can only be captured by being in the land. Secondarily, we will learn about the Fathers of the Church, including Origen, Eusebius, Justin, Jerome, and Cyril of Jerusalem, who lived and wrote in the Holy Land. Finally, since travel in the Holy Land will bring us face-to-face with the Crusades and Muslim-Christian relations, we will learn about Church history and inter-religious dialogue. This course will count as a theology, scripture, or church history elective, based on the topic which the student selects for his or her course paper.