At its core, the book of Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) is not only about national collapse, but about the danger of false religion – ritual without integrity, knowledge without obedience, and confidence without truth. Jeremiah is relentlessly concerned with a society that speaks in G‑d’s name while living in denial of G‑d’s demands. Again and again, he exposes the self‑deception of a people who refuse to listen, and it is precisely this unwillingness to hear his message that ultimately leads to their downfall.

 

In this four-part series, we will follow Jeremiah from the hopeful reforms of King Josiah and the dream of reunification, through the painful realisation that external change without inner repair cannot hold, into the moment when catastrophe becomes inevitable. We will then confront destruction itself – and discover how, even there, Jeremiah expresses a quieter, deeper covenant that survives the loss of power, land, and temple and that is arrowed at hope.

 

Though Jeremiah’s world is dark, his book offers a surprisingly contemporary kind of hope: not cheap optimism, but a call to authenticity, courageous self-critique, and a vision of faith that can endure crisis. Join the Academy to explore how Jeremiah’s voice – demanding, honest, and ultimately deeply compassionate – can help us think about leadership, community, and spiritual integrity in our own lives.

• Session 1: A Moment of Reunion — Josiah, Reform, and Early Prophecy

• Session 2: Reform Without Repair — The Collapse After Josiah 

• Session 3:  No Turning Back — Babylon Ascendant 

• Session 4: Destruction, Consolation, and the Remnant