Boring in Elizabethton

The Emmanuel School of Religion, a seminary right here in Elizabethton, will hold commencement on Sunday. This is a good seminary and we are fortunate to have it. It comes from the Stone-Campbell tradition and while some might consider it "conservative" it most certainly is scholarly. A few of our candidates under care in Holston Presbytery are ESR students.

I was a bit disappointed a couple of years ago when I couldn't convince any of the professors nor the president to check out the Jesus Seminar on the Road we held in 2006. I am more hopeful this year. Here is why:

The commencement ceremony will honor Dr. Eugene Boring. Dr Boring will receive the James Garfield award. That is interesting in itself. Garfield was the only U.S. president who was an ordained minister. He, too, was of the Stone-Campbell tradition. James Garfield wasn't long for the office though. He was assassinated after serving only six months.

Anyway, according to a newspaper article in the Elizabethton Star:

Dr. M. Eugene Boring will be honored with The James A. Garfield Award during the commencement service. "This is the highest award given by Emmanuel, and it is given in recognition for outstanding service to the Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," a news release states.

Here is the fun part. Dr. Boring is a Charter Fellow of the Jesus Seminar. Here are some of his books on Amazon.

See, Jesus Seminar Fellows aren't so radical. Many of them are like...Boring. Perhaps now we can convince some of the ESR students and faculty to put September 12 and 13 on their calendars for Jesus Seminar on the Road 2008! If you are near our mountain, I hope you will join us as well.