Nassau Presbyterian Church Adult Education

What is systematic theology? How should we view the Bible? What in the Christian faith can be understood and what needs simply to be taken on faith? Join us for these opening questions as we begin our walk alongside Dan Migliore’s Faith Seeking Understanding.

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Mark J. Edwards is the Director of Youth Ministry here at Nassau and holds a M.Div. and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He teaches religion and philosophy at The College of New Jersey and Princeton University and has also taught regularly inside Garden State Correctional and at Princeton Seminary. He is author of Christ Is Time: The Gospel according to Karl Barth (and the Red Hot Chili Peppers) (Cascade Books, 2022).

What is literalism? Where did it come from? What is at stake for those who read the Bible literally? Join Dr. Kristofer Zimmitti to dig into the history of literalism from his new book, Shadows & Solid Things: A History of Religion and Archaeology in the Modern World (University of North Carolina Press, 2026). Archaeology began in an era when people read ancient texts literally, believing that what was described on the page corresponded to a material reality that existed beneath the earth. With a shovel in one hand and a sacred text in the other, early archaeologists sought confirmation in concrete evidence. As archaeology grew more popular, excavations from Herculaneum to Babylon and discoveries such as the Moabite Stone transformed the modern understanding of the ancient past. This transformation was not the triumph of the traditional story of religion vs science, but of religion in science. And when the dust of excavation had settled, today’s religious world had been forged.

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Kristofer Zimmitti is a scholar of religion and history and a candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). He is the author of Shadows & Solid Things: A History of Religion and Archaeology and Inside a Very Great Story: The Faith and Wonder of J.R.R. Tolkien.

What is literalism? Where did it come from? What is at stake for those who read the Bible literally? Join Dr. Kristofer Zimmitti to dig into the history of literalism from his new book, Shadows & Solid Things: A History of Religion and Archaeology in the Modern World (University of North Carolina Press, 2026). Archaeology began in an era when people read ancient texts literally, believing that what was described on the page corresponded to a material reality that existed beneath the earth. With a shovel in one hand and a sacred text in the other, early archaeologists sought confirmation in concrete evidence. As archaeology grew more popular, excavations from Herculaneum to Babylon and discoveries such as the Moabite Stone transformed the modern understanding of the ancient past. This transformation was not the triumph of the traditional story of religion vs science, but of religion in science. And when the dust of excavation had settled, today’s religious world had been forged.

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Kristofer Zimmitti is a scholar of religion and history and a candidate for ordination in the PC(USA). He is the author of Shadows & Solid Things: A History of Religion and Archaeology and Inside a Very Great Story: The Faith and Wonder of J.R.R. Tolkien.

What happens when Presbyterians from across the denomination gather to worship, deliberate, discern, and make decisions about our shared life? Join Rachel Halbo for a look at the 227th General Assembly, which met this summer in Milwaukee under the theme “Persevering Toward Wholeness,” and consider what its work may mean for the church in the years ahead.

Download GA in Brief (pdf)

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Rachel Halbo is a student at Princeton Theological Seminary who has worked with Nassau’s children and youth for the past two years. She will serve as a Youth Ministry intern this year and spent part of her summer hiking Long Pearkes with Nassau’s Beyond Malibu crew.

We too often accept the world “as is,” yet to be a Christian calls us to imagine the world “as if” God’s kingdom has come and to take action to make it so. Imagination is an integral part of faith formation and art has a unique capacity to cultivate it. Join Elizabeth Steel for a two-part series to explore the important ways in which art teaches our faith to see the world "as if" it could be otherwise and to consider our individual and collective imaginations. 

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Elizabeth Steel is serving as the Nassau post-doctorate fellow for the 2026-2027 year under the Art of Faithfulness ministry. She earned an undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Divinity, Master of Christian Education, and PhD in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

We too often accept the world “as is,” yet to be a Christian calls us to imagine the world “as if” God’s kingdom has come and to take action to make it so. Imagination is an integral part of faith formation and art has a unique capacity to cultivate it. Join Elizabeth Steel for a two-part series to explore the important ways in which art teaches our faith to see the world "as if" it could be otherwise and to consider our individual and collective imaginations. 

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Elizabeth Steel is serving as the Nassau post-doctorate fellow for the 2026-2027 year under the Art of Faithfulness ministry. She earned an undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Divinity, Master of Christian Education, and PhD in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Nassau has a long-standing relationship with the Advocacy & Witness Offices of the national church, advancing federal policy for a more just world. How has this work changed in recent years given the decline in church membership, rise of political polarization and Christian nationalism, and electoral influence of wealth inequality? Is the PC(USA) still a relevant player in national politics?

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Isabella Shutt is a senior MDiv student at Princeton Theological Seminary and a member of Nassau Presbyterian Church. She interned with the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness during the summers of 2025 and 2026 and is a graduate of Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

What does it actually look like to live the life Jesus calls us to—and does it make a difference? Together, we will consider how generosity, purpose, and faith shape our lives, what “reward” might really mean, and how the church can support us in living more fully into Christ’s vision for abundant life.

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Bart Jackson is the author of Holy Christ – It Works: A Practical Message From a Carpenter’s Son and CEO of Yourself. A publisher and globe-trotting journalist, he has spent his career interviewing a wide range of voices, from Nobel Laureates to Tibetan monks, in pursuit of what it means to live a full and meaningful life. A longtime member of Nassau Presbyterian Church, Bart lives in Cranbury, New Jersey with his wife, Lorraine.

Sarah Berliner is a junior at West Windsor Plainsboro High School South. She enjoys playing field hockey and lacrosse. An active member at Nassau, Sarah participates in youth Fellowship, singing in Cantorei, helping with Carol Choir, and is on the Youth Ministry Committee.

View the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nKtwbAsN08Y

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Each January, our meaningful tradition of intergenerational education brings together Middle School, High School, and Adults of all ages to share in food, fellowship, and the stories of God at work in our community. Over light breakfast and good conversation, we listen for the ways faith is lived, deepened, and discovered across generations.

This year’s speakers offer a remarkable range of voices from within our own congregation—voices shaped by ministry, creativity, and leadership.

Why has still life endured for centuries, from ancient ruins to modern photography? Join photographer Ned Walthall as he explores how this often-overlooked art form speaks to the essentials of human life—food, beauty, growth, and death—and reveals glimpses of God’s grace in the ordinary. We will explore objects of God’s grace as they are represented in still life painting and photography.

Link to online gallery: https://bit.ly/41Dyuxo

(c)2026 Nassau Prebyterian Church. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton, NJ, (609-924-0103, email).

Ned Walthall is a photographer based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He holds an MFA from the Institute of Art and Design at New England College and has exhibited his work in galleries and photography centers across the United States and internationally. His work can be viewed at nedwalthall.com and on Instagram @walthallphotography, and has been featured in Lenscratch, including his post-pandemic series on Grand Central Terminal.