Classes for Adults

Location: Chapel and online
Teacher: Dr. Charles Hambrick-Stowe

If you would like to join us online, please use the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82033550409

PACKET: https://nationalpres.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Religion-in-the-American-Revolution-packet.docx

Our nation observes the 250th anniversary of its War for Independence this year. Four class sessions in January will examine the complex role Christian faith and the various church traditions played in the struggle, along with the Revolution’s impact on religious life in the New Republic.

Jan. 4 How religious experience set the stage for the Revolution
English Revolutions of 1640 and 1689 and the Great Awakening

Jan. 11 Why the war was spiritually and theologically complicated
Reformed, Lutheran, Catholic Church perspectives

Jan. 18 Why the war was spiritually and theologically complicated
Church of England, Peace Churches, Black Christian perspectives

Jan. 25 Ways independence revolutionized religious life in America
Disestablishment, denominationalism, toleration, competition

Participants will be encouraged to reflect on ways the issues confronting Christians (and Jews and others) in the Revolution—from the start of the war in 1775 and 1776 to ratification of the Constitution and Bill of Rights by 1791—are still with us in contemporary American society.

Charles Hambrick-Stowe is minister emeritus of the First Congregational Church of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Previously, he served as academic dean and professor of Christian History at Northern Seminary in Illinois, director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and pastor at Church of the Apostles in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Westminster, Maryland. In addition to MA, and MDiv degrees, he holds a PhD in American Studies from Boston University. He is the author of numerous books and articles in the fields of American religious history and biblical studies. He and Elizabeth are frequent worshipers at National Presbyterian Church.

Location: Garden Rooms
Teachers: David Siegrist

This four-week class will explore how biblical faith has shaped the moral and cultural foundations of the West in ways often overlooked or forgotten. Drawing on leading historical, philosophical, and cultural analyses, the class will contrast the distinctive moral vision of the Judeo-Christian tradition with both the assumptions of pre-Christian civilizations and the competing secular ideologies of the modern age. By examining the virtues we now take for granted—such as freedom, compassion, equality, and the dignity of every person—the course will highlight what is lost when societies drift toward spiritual “neutrality” or become functionally post-Christian. Participants will also consider the contemporary search for meaning and happiness, and how Christianity offers a deeper, more coherent basis for human flourishing than the alternatives proposed by our secular age.

Location: Garden Room A
Facilitators: NPC Staff

Becoming a church member here at NPC can be a meaningful step forward in your spiritual journey. To inquire about membership or learn more about Christian faith, please attend the Pathway of Christian Discipleship class on January 4, 11, 18, and 25 at 9:55 am. While everyone is welcome to come, attendance at all four sessions is required for membership.

Location: Jones Hall in the Education Building
Facilitators: Kristin Franke and others

Join parents of similar ages and stages for fellowship and reflection on the Sunday School lesson your children are learning. Once a month we will be joined by one of our pastors for conversation. Jones Hall is located in the National Presbyterian School Building, across from the covered driveway entrance to the main sanctuary building.