Jesus Seminar in Jackson, Michigan

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Jackson, Michigan
Friday & Saturday
September 17-18, 2010

Rediscovering Paul

Bernard Brandon Scott & Arthur J. Dewey

The legacy of the apostle Paul dominates early Christianity—he is the reputed author of half of the New Testament and the dominant character in the book of Acts. He is often credited—or blamed—for many traditional moral positions still debated in our culture. But, over the past twenty years, a new Paul has emerged—one who differs from that of Augustine and Luther.

LECTURE

Will the Real Paul Please Stand Up?
We normally homogenize the various versions of Paul found in the New Testament. In this session, we will sort through these versions in an effort to discover the real Paul and to understand how the Pauline tradition developed.

Friday, 7:30-9 P.M.

WORKSHOPS

Imperial Images in Stone and Song
Rome—and its Emperor—was the dominant power in the ancient world, militarily, and politically, and also ideologically. It set the terms of debate. The recognition of imperial influence is important to understanding Paul. In this session, we will explore the early Christian hymn embedded in Paul's letter to the Philippians for its imperial imagery.

Saturday, 9:30-10.30 A.M.

Resurrection and the Body of Christ
Paul made resurrection and the cross central to his new faith. Even more importantly, he tied resurrection to the body of Christ. How do we unravel these notions to learn what Paul was trying to get at?

Saturday, 11:00 A.M.- Noon

Justification by Faith: What Might Paul Mean?
The fact that the New Testament was written in Greek, not English, inevitably leads to translation problems. We will examine a central Pauline phrase, "justification by faith," and ask if this is a good translation, how it should be translated, and how it was understood by the fledgling Jesus community.

Saturday, 1:30-2:30 P.M.

Paul for a New Day
Paul is the first great Christian thinker. Perhaps a return to Paul can help us see where we might go in the future. What clues, if any, can we glean from his interpretation of Jesus’ meaning in the Roman Empire? Can he help us rethink our way in a new global environment?

Saturday, 3-4 P.M.

FACULTY

Bernard Brandon Scott (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University) is the Darbeth Distinguished Professor of New Testament at the Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK. He is the author of several books, including The Trouble with the Resurrection (2010) and Re-Imagine the World (2002), and editor of the Jesus Seminar Guides series.

Arthur J. Dewey ( Th.D., Harvard University) is Professor of Theology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio, co-founder of the Healing Deadly Memories Program, and co-author of The Authentic Letters of Paul (with Roy Hoover & Lane McGaughy, 2010).