Concordia students travel to Cambridge to study the Pauline Epistles

Directly following graduation, a group of Concordia University, Nebraska students took a three-week trip from May 11 to the 31 to Cambridge, England. There, the students, along with Dr. Paul Holtorf and Dr. Gabriel Haley, participated in educational sessions centering around the letters of Paul at Westfield House, Cambridge as well as the University of Cambridge Library.

Each educational session held at Westfield House, Cambridge, included two learning modules each morning along with a chapel service separating the two modules. The services included various services from the Lutheran Service Book. The readings were taken from the Book of Acts and selections from the Pauline epistles. The services were all held at Resurrection Lutheran Church, on the campus of Westfield House.

Within the learning modules, students were given the opportunity to connect first-hand and in person what they read regarding the history and documents related to Biblical manuscripts, the life of Paul, and Reformation history of the 16^th century throughout England, Scotland and continental Europe.

The access to information related to Biblical texts, church history and scriptural interpretation allowed students to develop research skills. They also had the opportunity to learn alongside international students studying at Westfield House who took the course with the Concordia students. The students were able to explore specific interests they had apart from the course goals, and traveled to various locations featuring art, literature and music.

As a group, the students traveled to London, Ely, Canterbury and Edinburgh, Scotland. They visited cathedrals and historic sites featuring Pauline studies of the New Testament, the English Reformation and the Scottish Reformation. They also traveled to the British Museum and the British Library in London, as well as the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, featuring Pauline studies and Biblical manuscripts.

Sophomore Mitchell Stephens, a pre-seminary student, said that he decided to go on this trip because he’d always wanted to visit England and the class seemed interesting. He said his favorite part of the trip was visiting all of the historical sites, especially the cathedrals. Stephens also stated that seeing all of the beautiful churches helped him realize again why he loves the Lutheran faith so much. He said, “Visiting England was a really awesome experience. We learned so much and got to see buildings and towns that are older than the United States! It was crazy!”

Students who participated in the study tour include:

Ethan Luppen, Garner, Iowa

Grace Donnelly, Three Forks, Mont.

Lorelei Humphrey, Topeka, Kan.

Jacob Huber, Canton, S.D.

Samuel Nate, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Mitchell Stephens, Houston, Texas

Eden Dehne, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

John Pollock, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Gain a global perspective, see the world and meet people of other cultures through international study tours. These short-term international trips allow you to experience another country and gain academic credit at the same time. Learn more about study tours at Concordia here.