Gordon McConville, IBR Meeting Speaker 2013

J. Gordon McConville (Univ of Gloucestershire) is undoubtedly a leading scholar in the area of Old Testament theology. And we are very excited to welcome him as the keynote spoke for the annual lecture of the Institute for Biblical Research (an evangelical group that meets as an affiliate of the SBL). McConville will lecture on the subject, ” ‘How Like An Angel!’: The Challenge of Being Human.” My colleague J. Richard Middleton (Northeastern Seminary) will present a formal response.

The annual IBR lecture will take place Friday Nov 22, 2013 beginning at 7PM. The academic program lasts about two hours (which includes a time of Q & A following Middleton’s response). Afterwards, IVP has kindly agreed to sponsor refreshments and a book giveaway for IBR members.

The next day (Sat morning), the discussion of anthropology will continue with papers and responses by such scholars as Catherine McDowell (Gordon-Conwell), Richard Averbeck (TEDS), Jason Hood (Christ UMC), and Ben Witherington III (Asbury Seminary).

I have posted both schedules below. I hope you will try to attend the McConville lecture, and the Saturday discussion as well.

Institute of Biblical Research Annual Lecture

Friday, November 22
7:00 PM

The Institute for Biblical Research, Incorporated (IBR) is an organization of evangelical Christian scholars with specialties in Old and New Testament and in ancillary disciplines. Its vision is to foster excellence in the pursuit of Biblical Studies within a faith environment. The achievement of this goal is sought primarily by organizing annual conferences, conducting seminars and workshops, and by sponsoring academic publications in the various fields of biblical research. IBR’s conferences, seminars and workshops are open to the public and its publications are available for purchase.

ANNUAL LECTURE (FRIDAY, NOV 22)

Tremper Longman, Westmont College, Welcome (10 min)

Nijay Gupta, Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College, Scripture Reading and
Prayer (10 min)

Mark Boda, McMaster Divinity College, Introduction (5 min)

Annual Lecture delivered by J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire, UK

J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire
‘How like an angel!’: The Challenge of Being Human (40 min)

J. Richard Middleton, Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College, Respondent (20 min)

Discussion (15 min)

Annual Reception Sponsored by InterVarsity Press

SATURDAY DISCUSSION (SAT, NOV 23)

Biblical Conceptions of Humanity: The Image of God

Saturday, November 23
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM

This session follows up on the IBR Annual Lecture from Friday night by J. G. McConville (“‘How Like an Angel!’: The Challenge of Being Human, respondent J. R. Middleton) with two invited papers on the Image of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament. All members of IBR and SBL are welcome to attend.

Ruth Anne Reese, Asbury Theological Seminary, Presiding

Catherine McDowell, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
selem (“image”) and demut (“likeness”) Revisited: the Divine-Human Relationship Defined in Terms of Kin, King and Cult (40 min)

Richard Averbeck, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Respondent (10 min)

Discussion (20 min)

Break (10 min)

Jason Hood, Christ United Methodist Church
Recovering Our Role: God’s Images in God’s Empire (40 min)

Ben Witherington, Asbury Theological Seminary, Respondent (10 min)

Discussion (20 min)