Sept 1
- 9:30 am Old Testament Prophets class with an open invitation to all students/faculty in the school of theology.
Theme Title: “A Holistic Hermeneutic to Woman as Ezer—Strong Rescue”
Lecture Description: From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture identifies women leaders who serve with enormous authority despite gender restrictions culturally. This lecture begins with a focus on identity markers for woman in Genesis, particularly that of ezer—strong rescue. Following this theme through the remainder of Scripture, we will consider not only women prophets, judges, and leaders in business and the military, we also consider women’s strong rescue within the New Covenant community as preachers, evangelists, prophets, teachers, apostles, deacons and martyrs.
- 11:00 am Gender Studies
Theme: “Equal in Being but Unequal in Service? Gender and Authority throughout history”
Lecture Description: Throughout history the church has offered three positions on gender and leadership, including:
- Unequal in being, therefore unequal in authority (a patriarchal perspective)
- Equal in Being, therefore equal in authority (an egalitarian perspective)
- Equal in being but therefore unequal in authority (a complementarian perspective)
Despite these views, women have served the world fearlessly through their theological, moral, intellectual leadership rising above any devaluation made of their gender, proving themselves to be created in God’s image for shared authority beside men. This lecture is a historical overview of women’s leadership, which challenges the theological devaluation made of them throughout history, including the church today.
- 6:30 pm KHIPP
Theme: “The Invisible Power of Culture to Oppress: What Every Christian Needs to Know about Gender and Justice”
Lecture Description: Throughout History, men have been viewed as innately superior to females. This view was advanced by nearly every religious or philosophical tradition including Christianity. It wasn’t until the early evangelicals challenged slavery and the marginalization of women’s gifts, in 1800s that a systematic treatise of Scripture was developed to oppose a devaluation based on gender or skin color. This lecture will consider the historical, theological and ethical elements of gender devaluation and it’s daily consequences.
Sept 2
- Chapel: Convocation 10 am
Theme: “The Dignity and Power of Diversity: Union with Christ our Truest Identity” Social commentators observe how Americans today are more willing to discuss topics considered taboo 20 years ago. But, unlike previous generations, we rarely converse with those who disagrees with us. This chapel will focus on the miracle of the early church—its unity of purpose and proclamation amid enormous cultural, economic, ethnic and gender diversity. How can we consider the outcome of their life and imitate their lives?Watch the lecture (works best on Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox).
Scriptures: NRSV
Galatians 3:26-29
26 for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. 27 As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring,[k] heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 6: 14-15
14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which[c] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For[d] neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!
2 Corinthians 5: 16-19a
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;[b] even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,[c] we know him no longer in that way. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,[d]
