Lecture Series

The Anglican Parish of Christ Church

12116-102 Ave Edmonton, ph 780-488-1118, mpenner@christchurchedm.ca

January 24 – February 21, 2010

Saint Paul is one of the most influential figures in early Christianity as well as one of the most controversial. He is a remarkable figure who inspires both devotion and aversion. This lecture series explores crucial issues that relate Saint Paul to his context and place in early Christianity as well as his relevance to faith today. The lectures are free and open to the public and will communicate to interested lay persons as well as professional clergy and academics.

ALL SESSIONS BEGIN AT 5pm

•         Lecture 1, Jan 24: Paul and Jesus: Friends or Foes? – Michael Pahl, PhD

There is little doubt that St. Paul was a significant figure in early Christianity, largely responsible for the spread of the Christian faith beyond its Palestinian Jewish roots. Some have claimed that Paul, not Jesus, was the true founder of Christianity as it emerged from the first century. Others have claimed that Paul was simply a faithful follower of Jesus, passing on Jesus’ message to new contexts. This lecture examines the relationship of Paul’s teaching to the message of Jesus, suggesting that this relationship is more complex than either of those extremes may allow.

•         Lecture 2, Jan 31: The Origins of Paul’s Gospel: Tradition or Revelation? – Michael Pahl, PhD

There is a tension in St. Paul's writings between his claim to have received his gospel from others as tradition (1 Corinthians 15) and his claim to have received his gospel directly from the exalted Jesus as revelation (Galatians 1). This lecture explores the origins of Paul's gospel, suggesting a way of understanding these apparently contradictory claims which is rooted in Paul's historical setting, his experience, and his rhetoric.

•         Lecture 3, Feb 7: Paul’s Apocalyptic Gospel – Douglas Harink, PhD

Many Paul scholars today are saying that St. Paul’s message and mission are thoroughly apocalyptic. But he doesn’t write anything like the Book of Revelation, so what does that mean? In this lecture we will explore the apocalyptic character of Paul’s gospel and some of its revolutionary implications for Christian faith and life.

•         Lecture 4, Feb 14: Paul’s Political Gospel – Douglas Harink, PhD

The declaration that Jesus the Messiah is Lord and Saviour, which is at the heart of St. Paul’s message, resonated deeply with the political rhetoric and loyalties of Jews and Romans alike. In this lecture we will show how Paul’s message about Jesus immediately calls forth and shapes a new political community that is nevertheless radically different from the political communities of this world. We will explore the implications for the church today.

•         Lecture 5, Feb 21: St. Paul and Contemporary Thought – Myron B. Penner, PhD

There has been something of a revival of interest in St. Paul in contemporary philosophy as a thinker of relevance for our postmodern times. This lecture looks at Paul in light of recent philosophical uses and argues for the relevance of Paul’s for Christians today as a kind of “postmodern” thinker who is able to point the way beyond the pitfalls of modern theology.

Lecturers:

Michael W. Pahl, PhD, University of Birmingham, is the author of Discerning the ‘Word of the Lord’ (T & T Clark, 2009). He has taught New Testament studies in Canada and the UK and is currently working on several research projects in areas surrounding Paul and the New Testament.

Douglas Harink, PhD, University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto School of Theology, is the author of Paul Among the Postliberals: Pauline Theology Beyond Christendom and Modernity (Brazos, 2003) and of 1 and 2 Peter in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible (2009). He is Professor of Theology at The King’s University College in Edmonton, AB, and teaches and researches in the areas of Modern and Contemporary Theology and Saint Paul.

Rev Myron B. Penner, PhD, University of Edinburgh, is the author of Subjectivity and Knowledge: Self and Belief in Kierkegaard’s Thought (Paternoster, forthcoming), the editor of Christianity and the Postmodern Turn (Brazos, 2005) and the co-editor of A New Kind of Conversation (Paternoster, 2007). He has taught philosophy and theology in the United States, Canada and the UK and is currently writing a book called Against Apologetics: A Postmodern Critique for Baker Academic.