Dordt theology professor and student work on “Encountering the Land” curriculum development for trip to Israel

At Dordt University, Associate Professor of Theology Dr. Gayle Doornbos and senior theology and English double major Joya Schreurs have spent the last two summers working on developing a curriculum for a for-credit educational trip to Israel, which will be offered to undergraduate students. Last summer, they worked on larger questions regarding the purpose and vision of the trip as well as the concepts and themes that the trip might tackle. This summer, Doornbos and Schreurs will work on developing teachings for the locations on the trip, particularly those related to the themes of place and presence. Their goal is to offer the trip in May 2024.

“My hope is that the trip to Israel will be a transformative experience for students as they encounter the land, seeing the ways in which the story of Scripture takes place in time and space,” says Doornbos. “Encountering the land of Israel and seeing the place in which the biblical story took place can be a transformative experience. Being able to offer a trip to Israel is something that the theology department wants to do because of the ways in which the biblical story ‘comes alive’ when you encounter the places in which it took place.”

She says the trip will also engage in the contemporary context of Israel and help students understand the complex, diverse, and often challenging realities that exist in Israel today.

Schreurs says her research, which will begin in August after she returns from an internship in Washington, D.C., will focus on the “gritty details” to determine timing, location, and the itinerary. She will also help with making the call on what would be required and recommended reading for students.

Schreurs has enjoyed working with Doornbos on this project. “I think it’s good for students to witness all the work professors put in to providing a good learning experience for students,” she says. “It’s made me so grateful for all that Dr. Doornbos does, and I have seen more of what a professor’s work is really like, which is good for me, because I hope to someday go to graduate school to study theology and to become a professor.”

“I have a passion for bringing students into my process and collaborating with them,” explains Doornbos. “Joya’s research expertise and wisdom were invaluable to me last summer, and having her work with me will be beneficial again this year as she is able to provide support in the research process, a different set of eyes to the work, and a student’s perspective on what aspects of the trip will be better geared for students.”

Dordt students are biblically literate, adds Schreurs – “we know all the stories and all the important verse references. When we’ve lived in that for so long, it’s easy to think our mode of interpreting the Bible is the mode for interpreting the Bible. Being in the land where God’s people—and God himself as Jesus—walked will place students’ biblical interpretation in a much more expansive context.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.