Westmont in the Mediterranean
Westmont in the Mediterranean offers the unique opportunity to explore some of the most significant sites in the histories of Judiasm and Christianity. During the semester, students will travel to various locations in Greece as well as to Egypt and Turkey. In each destination, they will get to engage with local Christian organizations and explore historic sites.
The eastern Mediterranean basin is the birthplace not only of Judaism and Christianity but also of empires and philosophies that have shaped the entire world. This semester program will base in Thessaloniki, the modern educational capital of Greece, where we will engage ancient philosophy and consider some of the origins of Western thought, including how that has shaped the histories of Judaism and Christianity. Local Christian networks and relevant historical sites (e.g., in Athens, Corinth, and Philippi) will support our second course that focuses on the church in the New Testament; participation in local ministry center Andrew’s Corner will frame our engagement. Travel to Egypt and Türkiye, to sites connected to Israel in the Old Testament and to the church in the New, will also offer key aspects of and background to our study. As a group we will learn basic koine Greek (the Greek of the New Testament) and practice working artistically, using our bodies and minds to interact with and create art in contexts that have millennia of documented history and include some of the most contested political and religious sites in the world.
ELIGIBILITY
- Class standing
- GPA (minimum 2.3 GPA) and no student life sanctions
- Application essays
- Team and individual interviews
- Faculty and personal recommendations
- Must be interested in Christian formation
CRITERIA
- Balance discipleship goals, academics, travel, and service as a community.
- Show flexibility and responsibility while living in challenging contexts (e.g., temperatures, cultures, food, schedules, laundry, cooking).
- Tolerate local diet with limited control over food choices in many locations; take initiative to choose local grocery stores and eating establishments. Show sensitivity to local dress and cultural sensitivity.
- Navigate multiple irregular surfaces and walk on average of 5 miles a day and up to 10 miles on field trips.
- Demonstrate excellent time management skills, including required activities, academics, nutrition, and rest.
- Participate in rigorous physical activities for the PEA course, including but not limited to the following: soccer, cycling, hiking, team sports.
-RS 113, 4 units: The Church in the New Testament (SERVING SOCIETY; RS MAJOR AND MINOR CREDIT; PREREQUISITE RS-010 INTRO TO NEW TESTAMENT)
-GRK 001, 4 units: Elementary Greek 1 (GE: MODERN/FOREIGN LANGUAGE; with Greek tutorials for students who have already taken Greek 1; RS MAJOR AND MINOR CREDIT).
-PHI 103, 4 units: Ancient Philosophy (GE: REASONING ABSTRACTLY; PHILOSOPHY MAJOR AND MINOR CREDIT; PREREQUISITE PHI-006, PHI -006H or IS-010H)
-ART 001, 4 units: Principles of Art (GE: WORKING ARTISTICALLY)
-PEA-O41, 1 unit: Fitness by the Sea (GE: PEA)
-Pre-Trip Course, 1 unit. GE: none
-Post-Trip Course, 1 unit. GE: none
Westmont semester tuition, room, board, plus RT airfare to/from Thessaloniki, Greece. Students are allowed to apply their financial aid awards from the college - both need-based and merit-based awards - toward the program's cost.
Holly Beers is married to Max, her best friend and true partner in life. They have three children with Old Testament names (Noah, Moses, and Eden), and two female cats with New Testament names (Euodia and Syntyche; see Philippians 4:2-3).
Holly teaches New Testament and Greek. She specializes in 1 Timothy, Colossians, Demons and Magic in the Greco-Roman World, Literary Criticism, Luke-Acts, New Testament Ecclesiology, Old Testament in the New Testament, Philemon, Philosophical Hermeneutics, and Pneumatic and/or Pentecostal Hermeneutics. At heart she simply loves the Bible, wants to understand it well, and help others understand it also.
Her current passion project is as co-editor for a commentary series on the New Testament written by and for charismatics and pentecostals (published by Baker Academic), for which she also wrote the volume on Colossians and Philemon. Her deepest desire is to deeply know and be led by the Holy Spirit, and her discipleship is imperfect (ask her family!) but ongoing.
Max teaches Upper School Bible classes, co-directs The Studio digital design academy, and does design work to enhance Providence School branding at Providence School. He has also worked as a marketing consultant and graphic designer and served as a career and technology teacher in the Minneapolis public school system. A passion for teaching the Bible brought Mr. Beers to Providence.
His favorite traditions include any faculty vs. student competition. As a Minnesota native, he is a fiercely competitive street hockey player and loyal Minnesota Vikings football fan.
From the early days of his ministry, Daniel has been drawn to evangelism and the mentoring of young believers. There is something beautiful about seeing a perplexed and disoriented person internalize the confident, abundant life that Jesus offers.
Daniel earned his Ph.D. from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Since 2018, he and his wife Karly have lived and served in Thessaloniki, Greece. After four years immersed in mission among the Middle Eastern refugees, Daniel and Karly pivoted to provide spiritual resources for East European disciples.
Daniel formerly taught at both Austin Graduate School of Theology and the Biblijski Institut in Zagreb, Croatia. He directs Andrew’s Corner – a theological and philosophical library, café, and spiritual resource center in the heart of the Thessaloniki – and is a Research Affiliate of the Dallas Willard Research Center at the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture at Westmont College.
Meagan’s current artwork is interested in perceptions of risk and safety and caregiving. She
enjoys working in multiple mediums within her creative practice, including printmaking, installation, and performance. Her recent exhibitions include Matter + Spirit, a traveling exhibition, a solo exhibition at Whitworth University’s Oliver Gallery, and a group exhibition at Sullivan Goss Gallery in Santa Barbara. Her artwork has been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States.
She also helped found the community collaborative Print Power. Offering screen printing workshops, trauma survivors are given the tools to create visual messages that may be too difficult to verbalize, and to process trauma in healthy, community-driven ways.