Alpha Course

Definition and Meaning

The Alpha Course is an introductory course in which participants explore the basic questions of the Christian faith together. "Alpha" is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and signifies a "first step" in faith. The course typically meets once a week for about ten weeks. Each session consists of a shared meal, a talk (either on video or delivered in person), and open discussion in small groups. Topics include "Who is Jesus?", "Why did Jesus die?", "How do I pray?", "Why and how should I read the Bible?", and "Who is the Holy Spirit?" Partway through the course, participants gather separately for a day or a weekend devoted to the Holy Spirit. A distinctive feature of the course is its commitment to an atmosphere in which participants are free to ask questions or voice disagreement.

Biblical and Historical Background

Those who run the Alpha Course point to scenes from Scripture as the basis for its format. Examples include the early church breaking bread together in fellowship (Acts 2:42, 46) and Jesus eating with sinners (Luke 15:2).

The course reportedly began in the late 1970s as a basic course for church members at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), an Anglican church in London. Around 1990, the Rev. Nicky Gumbel took over its leadership. He reshaped it into its current format, designed for people who do not attend church, and the course subsequently spread to many countries and denominations. It is used not only in Protestant churches but also in parts of the Catholic Church, and adapted versions have been developed for youth, university students, prisons, and other settings.

Practice in the Korean Church

In Korea, Alpha Korea has promoted the course by translating its talk materials and training course leaders. Because it is an interdenominational program, it is used by churches of many denominations, including the Anglican Church of Korea as well as Presbyterian, Methodist, and Full Gospel churches. Churches mainly use it to invite people they are reaching through evangelism, as well as new believers, and treat it as a step leading into a new members' class or discipleship training. Its approach of building relationships over a shared dinner is regarded as distinguishing it from traditional lecture-centered evangelism programs.

Views of the Holy Spirit portion of the course differ. During this time, experiences such as speaking in tongues are sometimes mentioned alongside prayer.

• Some churches and theologians in the Reformed tradition criticize this portion as charismatic in character. They hold that churches running the course should adjust its content or handle it with caution.
• Pentecostal and charismatic churches, along with churches that run the course, regard it as a natural introduction to the work of the Holy Spirit.

This difference is also connected to the debate over cessationism and continuationism.