The Jesus Seminar Is Comin' For Your Bible
Westar has just posted the details for the new Bible Seminar. Its inaugural meeting will be held November 17-19, 2011. Here is the synopsis:
The Bible is deployed today in every conceivable debate and dilemma, from gay marriage to Middle East politics. But seldom are the insights of biblical scholars taken up in these discussions. The Bible Seminar aims to coax critical scholars out of the library and into the public square because basic critical scholarship can make a difference. What is the Bible? How did we get it? What does it really say about sexuality, the role of women, and family values? At the Fall 2011 meeting, under the leadership of John Dominic Crossan, Pamela Eisenbaum, and Stephen J. Patterson, scholars and Associate members alike will begin framing the questions that will form the agenda of this exciting new seminar.
This will be good. It won't stop mischief from being done in the name of the Bible, but it will expose it.
By the way, our little crew is proud as peahens to host our fourth Jesus Seminar on the Road this Fall.
Put October 21-22 on your calendar.
We are going to welcome
Robert J. Miller
and
Jarmo Tarkki
to Elizabethton. They will present the program, "Jesus in the First and Twenty-First Centuries."
Our JSORs are always well-attended and highly anticipated. Hope to see you.
I attended a JSOR in March, and I would encourage readers of this blog to catch one in their area if possible. It was quite exhilirating to take in 6 straight hours of presentations of the findings of honest biblical scholarship, with no one feeling the need to adhere to various pre-modern interpretations as they they were the last word. It's something of a scandal that this kind of presentation has to be put on by an independent organization [Westar] instead of by every mainline church, but that's the situation.
ReplyDeleteJarmo Tarkki is a totally cool guy, and Bob Miller is great to work with (as I have been doing for the past month, prepping an article for the 4thR (shameless self-promotion alert).
ReplyDeleteI won't be able to meet you in October, but will be at the fall meeting in Berkeley in November.
Thanks Michael, for the testimony! I agree with your scandal assessment.
ReplyDeleteI am doubtful on the November meeting. Already went once this year. Maybe someday we will make it to the same meeting! Congrats on the 4th R article! Let us know when it is published!