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Bringing a pet into our home as a pulls us out of our human-focused mindset and into direct relationship with an element of God's created world. The fact that in a culture where many of us no longer need pets for practical reasons, so many people take on the expense and responsibility of caring for animals suggests that we long for this connection with God's creation.

In this class, the Rev. Emily Mellott discusses ways in which our connection with animals brings humans, ultimately, into relationship with God. Her video lectures include:

Pets and Creation
Pets and Pure Relationships
What Pets Teach Us about God
How Pets Teach Us Spiritual Values

This course is ideal for pet lovers. For a preview, please click below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take me to complete this course?
It will take an average student about 45 minutes to complete this course. You can pause at any time and come back. You can even re-take lessons. Each course features 3-6 video lectures that are from 5-7 minutes in length. Also included are downloadable Mp3s of each lecture plus Discussion Questions and a one-page synopsis of the course called The Takeaway.

Who’s teaching this course?
Our instructors come from a variety of traditions, mostly mainline Christianity - Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian. They meet two criteria: 1) they are well-studied, even experts, in their fields, 2) they offer a moderate viewpoint.

How long will I be able to access the course material?
Those who purchase individual courses (for $10) can access all the course materials for 6 months from the date of purchase. Those who purchase individual subscriptions ($9/mo unlimited) can the course materials for all of our courses as long as their membership is current.

Is this course downloadable?
Parts of the course are - Mp3s of the lectures, the Takeaway, and the Discussion Questions. However, the course is designed to be an online learning experience and the video lectures, quizzes, and discussion are only accessible online.

Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
You bet. It's easy, look for instructions as well as answers to more questions in our FAQ section.

Also, a technical note:
Our learning platform works best with certain browsers. If you find yourself running into problems, please go to the Trouble-shooting section of our Frequently Asked Questions section and ensure that the browser you are using is one that works well with our course

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