Here are details about some of the upcoming speaking engagements I have lined up. The first is Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Here is the information:
The A to Z of Biblical Studies with Prof. James F. McGrath
Join us for two Wednesday evening meetings (September 11
th and 18
th at 7 pm) for two sessions in which our guest, Prof. James McGrath from
Butler University in Indianapolis, provides as much of an introduction to biblical scholarship as it is possible to give in two short sessions. As the author of
The A to Z of the New Testament as well as a number of other books, he is well prepared to help ordinary church members understand the content and the value of biblical scholarship for the life of faith. Session 1 will be “What a Biblical Scholar Wants You To Know” and in it he will help us understand what scholars do and why and how acquainting ourselves with their work can enrich our Bible reading in a variety of ways. The second session will be “What You Want to Know from a Biblical Scholar” and is your chance to get your questions answered.
ENCOUNTERING JOHN THE BAPTIST
Sundays, September 15, 22, & 29, 9 AM, Room 356
We’ll start the program year with three sessions on John the Baptist led by Dr. James McGrath, Clarence L. Goodwin Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Butler University. Dr. McGrath’s recently published work on John the Baptist, Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist, is a biography of this fascinating and underappreciated figure in the New Testament. His forthcoming academic book, John of History, Baptist of Faith: The Quest for the Historical Baptizer, is scheduled for publication in October. Plan to join us for this unique opportunity to encounter John the Baptist in a new way from one of the foremost scholars on this subject in the world. The three sessions will be as follows:
September 15: John’s Parents
Ancient sources often give us much less information than we would like about the upbringing of famous people, and John is no exception. Yet within the stories at the start of Luke’s Gospel there are hints of a tension between his father and his mother, committing him to two incompatible destinies. That tension can help us understand what led him to pursue his unique path.
September 22: John’s Preaching
How does someone come up with the idea of “baptism for the forgiveness of sins”? Why did John earn the nickname “the Baptist”? Apart from immersion in water, what do we know about John’s emphases? Even in the few snippets of teaching attributed to him in the Gospel of Luke, we get a glimpse of someone who stood in the long line of Israel’s prophets, with a similar emphasis on social and economic justice.
September 29: John’s Passion
The story of John’s death is arguably the most famous thing about him, the subject of much art and even opera. What do we know about the end of John’s life historically, and how did the death of Jesus’ baptizer (and mentor?) shape his own understanding of the path he was to follow?
In October I will be at
Theology Beer Camp in Denver, Colorado. It is not at all too late to get
tickets, and if you look around online many of the podcasters attending have discount codes. One of the things I have been working on for that event together with Tripp Fuller is a skit. I won’t give away too many details except that it involves a fundamentalist Christian time traveler. Take a look at the array of amazing speakers. The other speaking engagements I list here are free, whereas this is a paid multi-day experience with an array of speakers, musicians, and scholars present and doing our thing.
I was there last year and it was phenomenal.
Finally, I will also be doing an Advent series at Christ Church Cathedral in Indianapolis. That too will span three weeks and the topics are:
The Births of John and Jesus
The Lives of John and Jesus
The Deaths of John and Jesus
If you live in the vicinity of Indianapolis, Cincinnati, or Denver, there are opportunities to come hear me in person. I hope you’ll do so!
For those who have been eagerly awaiting their copy of
John of History, Baptist of Faith, my advance author copy reached me on Thursday. That means that those who pre-ordered should receive theirs in the not too distant future. When you have a chance to dive into it, please let me know what you think, and please, if at all possible, also share your rating and/or review on places like Amazon. It means a lot to me and makes a huge difference to whether others also hear about my books. Thank you!
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