Alpha course
Encyclopedia
The Alpha course is a course which seeks to explore the basics of the Christian faith
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

, described as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life" . Alpha courses are currently being run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations. The course is being run around the world by all major Christian denominations.

History

Alpha was started by the Reverend Charles Marnham, a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

 at Holy Trinity, Brompton
Holy Trinity Brompton Church
Holy Trinity Brompton with St Paul's, Onslow Square is an Anglican church in Brompton, London, United Kingdom. The church consists of three church buildings, HTB Brompton Road, HTB Onslow Square and HTB Queen's Gate, as well as being the home for Worship Central, St Paul's Theological Centre and...

, a Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 parish in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. The name 'Alpha' was suggested by Marnham's wife, Tricia. It started as a course for church members on the basics of the Christian faith but then began to be used as an introduction for those interested in the faith. The Very Reverend John Irvine
John Irvine (priest)
-Career and ministry:Irvine was a barrister in London before his ordination to the priesthood. He served a curacy at Holy Trinity Brompton and was one of the founders of the Alpha course. Having taken charge of the Alpha course, he played a major part in transforming it from its original four-week...

, at that time a curate at HTB, took over running the course and developed it into the ten week format which continues to this day. In 1990 the Reverend Nicky Gumbel
Nicky Gumbel
Nicholas Glyn Paul Gumbel is an ordained Anglican priest, vicar and author. He is most famous as the developer of the Alpha course, a basic introduction to Christianity supported by churches of many Christian traditions....

, at that time a curate at Holy Trinity, took over the running of the course at the invitation of the Reverend Sandy Millar
Sandy Millar
John Alexander Kirkpatrick "Sandy" Millar is an Anglican bishop who, in 2005, was consecrated in Uganda as an assistant bishop in the Province of Uganda, in a joint initiative of the Archbishop of Uganda, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London...

 (the then vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...

) and oversaw its revision and expansion.

In 2008 over 33,500 courses were offered in 163 countries by Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

, Methodist, Pentecostal, British New Church Movement and Orthodox  churches and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. Over 15 million people worldwide have attended an Alpha course (two and a half million in the UK).

Structure

The Alpha course is organized as a series of sessions over 10 weeks, typically preceded by an 'Alpha Supper' which often includes the talk "Is there more to life than this?" and with a day or weekend away which includes three or four of the talks asterisked [*] below. Each session starts with a meal, followed by a talk (often a video of one by Nicky Gumbel) and then discussion in small groups. The talks aim to cover the basic beliefs of the Christian faith. The complete list of talk titles, which follows the chapters of Gumbel's book Questions of Life, is:
  • Is there more to life than this? (previously Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?)
  • Who is Jesus
    Jesus
    Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

    ?
  • Why did Jesus die?
  • How can we have faith?
  • Why and how do I pray?
  • Why and how should I read the Bible?
  • How does God guide us?

  • Who is the Holy Spirit? [*]
  • What does the Holy Spirit do? [*]
  • How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? [*]
  • How can I resist evil?
  • Why and how should I tell others?
  • Does God heal today?
  • What about the church?
  • How can I make the most of the rest of my Life? [*]

Attenders are issued with The Alpha Course Manual, which contains an outline of each talk and space for making notes.

Special interest Alpha courses

As an alternative to the standard Alpha course, the Alpha organisation runs a number of Alpha courses designed for specific demographics:
  • Youth Alpha. The course content differs from Alpha in that Alpha's DVDs are never used, instead talks are given 'live', typically lasting no longer than 15 minutes, with a total session time of 1-1.5 hours. The session themes are the same as the main Alpha Course, and the 'Holy Spirit' away day/weekend, small groups discussions and shared food are also present. Youth Alpha is for young people aged 11–18. Course leaders can choose from one of three 'streams', 'Alpha-Tech', a multimedia
    Multimedia
    Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...

    -focused approach, 'Alpha-Active', designed for the younger end of the age game with more games and other activities to keep interest, and 'Alpha-Lite', a shorter 30-minute programme designed to fit into school lunchtimes or other constrained timeslots.

  • Student Alpha. Student Alpha is an Alpha Course aimed specifically university students and young adults. Covering the same themes as Alpha, the course is cut down to seven weeks with shorter thirty-minute talks with a greater use of multimedia elements.

  • Senior Alpha. Aimed at people aged 75 and over, courses can be run in homes for the elderly in addition to the usual church environment. The Alpha Course is specially adapted for the needs of the elderly, with courses typically taking place in the daytime, whereas the regular Alpha Course may run after work.

  • Alpha in the Workplace. The course adapted to fit into an office lunch hour, using 20-minute 'Alpha Express' DVD presentations.

  • Alpha for Forces/Alpha for the Military. The standard course with consideration for the logistical challenges of delivery in the army.

  • Alpha for Prisons. An 11-week course of 2-hour sessions, 1 week longer than the standard Alpha programme, taking into account the fact that the 'Away Day' is not an option for those incarcerated, and therefore consists of a regular weekly session. Alpha in the US operate a 'Faithbased Re-Entry Initiative', designed to rehabilitate offenders by living a godly life within a special prison unit.

  • Alpha in a Catholic Context. The Alpha Course is designed to present a unifying Christian vision, and as such it does not cover specifically Catholic doctrine. Alpha in a Catholic Context uses the standard Alpha course, the 'Catholic Context' is the church the course is run within. Catholic Churches using Alpha see it as a means to an end, a proven successful evangelizing tool, with specifically Catholic resources, not created by Alpha, required to follow up the course materials.

Religion education for schools

In conjunction with Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ
Youth for Christ is the name of a number of previously unaffiliated evangelical Protestant religious campaigns which led to the creation of Youth for Christ International in 1946....

, Alpha International produces two study programs designed for children aged 11–14, exploRE: The Christian Faith a 12-week programme on the Christian faith, and exploRE: The Life of Jesus, a 14-lesson study of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection. The capitalised RE is a reference to religious education
Religious education
In secular usage, religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects —its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, and personal roles...

, part of the curriculum in the United Kingdom. The materials are aimed at religious education teachers.

Marriage programmes

Alpha operates several marriage-related programmes. The Marriage Course is a seven-session course for married couples, consisting of a "candlelit meal and/or coffee, tea and dessert at a romantic table for two while listening to practical talks that are informative and fun, either given live or played on DVD", while the Marriage Preparation Course follows a similar format over five sessions in preparation for married life. Unlike the Alpha Course, there are no group sessions - the couple are to spend the time together, and relationship details are not shared with a counsellor or other participants

The site's website makes little mention of Christianity, saying that 'while it is based on Christian principles, it is designed for couples with or without a Christian faith'. The courses are authored by Nicky and Sila Lee, staff at Holy Trinity Brompton and authors of 'The Marriage Book' and 'The Parenting Book'.

God at Work

God at Work is a book and course by Ken Costa, chairman of Alpha International, 31-year veteran of UBS and now Chairman of Lazard
Lazard
Lazard Ltd is the parent company of Lazard Group LLC, a global, independent investment bank with approximately 2,300 employees in 42 cities across 27 countries throughout Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Central and South America...

 UK. The course consists of six hour-long sessions focusing on work, stress, ambition and other work-related issues from a Christian perspective.

Caring for Ex-Offenders

Caring for Ex-Offenders is a follow-up to the Alpha for Prisons course, supporting released prisoners by providing them with material assistance including accommodation, work, food, and pastoral support through church life. It operates in the UK, Canada, South Africa and the USA.

St Paul's Theological Centre

St Paul's Theological Centre
St Paul's Theological Centre
St Paul's Theological Centre is a British centre for theological learning, based at Holy Trinity Brompton in South Kensington, London...

 is Alpha/Holy Trinity Brompton's theological institution, with aims to provide lay training in theology, to provide ordination training, to provide theological resources for theological training in churches across the world, and to provide theological guidance for Alpha.

Worship Central

Worship Central is a school of worship run by Holy Trinity Brompton.

Doctrine

Alpha's teachings are intended to centre upon aspects of Christian faith on which all denominations are in general agreement. Gumbel says "What unites us is far greater than what divides us."

Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 distinctives, such as those concerning the Virgin Mary and certain sacramental teachings are absent, as are Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...

 teachings on baptism. Instead, individual churches are encouraged to provide follow-up courses of their own.

The New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...

 of the Bible is quoted in the course materials. St Paul's reference to scripture being "God breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16) is referred to, although whether this view of scripture implies strict inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...

 is not made clear.

Within evangelical Protestantism the most controversial element of the Alpha Course is what is considered to be its charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...

 slant. Three of the fifteen sessions are given to the person and work of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit (Christianity)
For the majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is Almighty God...

 and cover the infilling of the Spirit; speaking in tongues and healing via prayer
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...

. Conversion stories in the book of Acts (see 2:1ff, 9:17-19, 10:44-46, 19:1-6) are seen as normative.

Influences

Possibly the greatest influence has been the ministry of John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...

, who visited Holy Trinity Brompton a number of times during the 1980s and 1990s. Nicky Gumbel's approach can also be linked to the ministry of E. J. H. Nash (Bash), an influential Anglican cleric who set out to evangelise "top boys at top schools" and who organised summer camps at Iwerne Minster
Iwerne Minster
Iwerne Minster is a village in North Dorset, England, situated under Cranborne Chase in the Blackmore Vale just off the A350. The village has a population of 889 . A cheese shop employs 57 persons...

 in Dorset. David Fletcher, who took responsibility for the camps after Bash, described Alpha as: "basically the Iwerne camp talk scheme with charismatic stuff added on.". Rob Warner addresses both, when he says: "Alpha can... be summed up as Bash camp rationalistic conservatism combined with Wimberist charismatic expressivism... this is a highly unusual, even paradoxical hybrid." Gumbel himself will only admit an indirect link with Nash.

Usage

Although originating from the Evangelical Anglican tradition, it has subsequently been used by a variety of church traditions and groups. The Alpha course has been endorsed by a number of leaders, including many Roman Catholic cardinals, Anglican archbishops and bishops, and leading figures of all the main Christian denominations. The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...

 was an enthusiastic supporter when he was Bishop of Monmouth
Bishop of Monmouth
The Bishop of Monmouth is the diocesan bishop of the Church in Wales Diocese of Monmouth.The see covers the historic county of Monmouthshire with the bishop's seat located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Woolos in Newport, which had been elevated to that status in 1921.The Bishop's residence is...

 and Archbishop of Wales
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...

 and has carried on his support into his new role, opening an Alpha conference and accepting an invitation to speak at an Alpha supper in London in 2004. He describes it as "a very special tool" and "a unique mixture of Christian content and Christian style". His predecessor, George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...

 described the courses as "superb." Father Raniero Cantalamessa
Raniero Cantalamessa
Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap. is an Italian Catholic priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He has served as the Preacher to the Papal Household since 1980, under both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI....

, a monk of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...

 and Preacher to the Papal Household for Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 wrote a document praising Alpha in June 2005.

Critics

The Alpha course has been criticised for a charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...

 emphasis. A particular problem for non-charismatic evangelicals is what is seen as Gumbel's emphasis upon the person and work of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...

. As a result, some churches have chosen to teach a different view of the Holy Spirit, although this is discouraged in Gumbel's book How to Run the Alpha Course.

Because it has been recommended as supplementary reading, Gumbel's book, Searching Issues, has become a focus of criticism. There is a chapter criticising homosexual practice, although this is not unique to the Alpha course but part of the wider Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 context.

More conservative critics (especially from a Reformed and Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...

 perspective) have complained that the course does not adequately define sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...

 and therefore does not properly explain the reason for Jesus's death and resurrection. The alternative Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored
Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading evangelical Church of England church, and published by The Good Book Company....

 course is an attempt to go beyond what the Alpha Course teaches on sin.

The Revd John Vincent of the Urban Theology Unit in Sheffield has suggested that Alpha presents too narrow a version of Christianity and one too centred on what theologians have said about Jesus, rather than allowing students the freedom to draw their own inspiration from studying Jesus' life and teaching. "The Alpha course, because of its didactic style, its narrow-mindedness and its closed nature, doesn't facilitate alternative views", he says. "I happen to believe it therefore leads people into a self-centred religion which is not the same as the genuine Christian discipleship." The Alpha course has also been accused of using techniques similar to brainwashing and similar to The Third Wave
The Third Wave
The Third Wave was an experiment to demonstrate that even democratic societies are not immune to the appeal of fascism. It was undertaken by history teacher Ron Jones with sophomore high school students attending his "Contemporary World" history class as part of a study of Nazi Germany...

 

Roman Catholic criticism

Alpha in a Catholic Context is Alpha with additional sessions about the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

. This has drawn harsh criticism from catechists claiming that the course does not present merely Christian ideas, but ideas not supported by Roman Catholic doctrine which are corrected in the additional Roman Catholic sessions.

Success

Proponents and detractors alike indicate the open and friendly atmosphere of the Alpha course where a participant can ask any question coupled with the freedom to attend select talks or leave without a follow-up is a major factor in its success. The only restriction placed is that everyone respects everyone else at the table during discussion. In addition while there has been some restructuring of the format of the Alpha course in the last two decades, it is presented in the native tongue almost unchanged when run in different parts of the world. Usually an Alpha course involves 'previous course guests' inviting new ones, and a large number of published testimonies of guests around the world attribute this success to their discovering an apparent relationship with God through the figure of Jesus Christ while attending a local Alpha course where they could proceed at their pace and freely converse about any topic.

What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions - life and death and their meaning. The Guardian, London


Books

Books for use with the course:
  • Nicky Gumbel, Questions of Life (Kingsway Publications 2003). ISBN 1-84291-164-3
  • Nicky Gumbel, Searching Issues (Kingsway Publications 2001). ISBN 0-85476-739-8
  • The Alpha Manual (Alpha International Publications 2005). ISBN 1-904074-23-5


Books about the course:
  • Andrew Brookes (Editor), The Alpha Phenomenon (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, 2007). ISBN 978-0-85169-331-6
  • Stephen J. Hunt
    Stephen J. Hunt
    Stephen John Hunt is a British professor of sociology at the University of the West of England. Prior to his appointment at the University of West England in 2001, Hunt had taught at the Sociology Department at the University of Reading for thirteen years, as well as in the Religious Studies...

    , The Alpha Enterprise: Evangelism in a Post-Christian Era (Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2004) ISBN 978-0-7546-5036-2

See also

  • Awareness Course
    Awareness Course
    The Awareness Course is the education programme of the Awareness Foundation. The Awareness Course has been described as ' Christians develop an informed response to the religious and cultural diversity around them by being centered in their faith and secure in their identity.'...

  • Christianity Explored
    Christianity Explored
    Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading evangelical Church of England church, and published by The Good Book Company....

  • Cursillo
    Cursillo
    Cursillos in Christianity is a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church...

  • Living the Questions
  • Walk to Emmaus
    Walk to Emmaus
    The Walk to Emmaus or Emmaus Walk is a three day movement and Protestant version of the Roman Catholic Cursillo Movement. It started in the 1960s and 1970s when Episcopalians and Lutherans, and Tres Dias offered Cursillo...


External links

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