Speaker
Reconciling Biblical Scholarship and Theology
September 29, 2021
Most Christians might be unaware that biblical studies and theology are divided by more than department hallways. In fact, serious divisions go back hundreds of years. Why—if both disciplines study the bible—is there contention among faithful scholars concerning methods and interpretations? Do these divisions serve any good purpose? Bringing this debate to a head, Hans Boersma and Scot McKnight have written two parallel books that educate both Bible scholars and lay-readers in a shared quest to mutually confront both disciplines and ultimately argue that biblical studies and theology should not only serve each other but also the church and the academy together. Join Upper House and Nashotah House for this joint book launch where theologian Hans Boersma (Nashotah House) and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight (Northern Seminary) respectively offer Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew and Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew, both from InterVarsity Press. From their different stances and ensuing dialogue, they will highlight and address core disciplinary disputes in the hope that—ultimately—their illuminating work will equip the church with theological and biblical reflections to help us love God better in thought, word, and deed—within and across real and imagined lines. Participants: Hans Boersma is the Chair to the Order of St. Benedict Servants of Christ Endowed Professorship in Ascetical Theology at Nashotah House Theological Seminary. He is a leading scholar of patristic theology and twentieth-century Catholic thought. Among his many scholarly contributions is Scripture as Real Presence (2017) and Seeing God: The Beatific Vision in Christian Tradition (2019), which received Christianity Today’s Theology and Ethics book of the year award. Boersma’s most recent book is Five Things Theologians Wish Biblical Scholars Knew (2021). Scot McKnight is the Julius R. Mantey Chair of New Testament at Northern Seminary, as well as a speaker and writer on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, the New Testament, and contemporary church issues. McKnight has written more than fifty books, including The King Jesus Gospel (2011), Pastor Paul (2019), and A Church Called Tov (2020), co-authored with Laura Barringer. He also runs the popular blog Jesus Creed. His most recent book is Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew (2021). Co-hosts: Upper House is a Christian study center located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison that creates programs, hosts gatherings, and provides a meeting space for overlapping university, church, and civic life in Madison. Nashotah House Theological Seminary, founded in 1842 as a seminary in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, forms persons for ministry in the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church in North America, and other churches in the Anglican tradition.
