In case you haven’t heard, there is a very excieting event coming up that surely *anyone* connected to the blog will be deeply interested in: a two-day remote Bible conference for non-scholars, called “New Insights into the New Testament,” consisting of ten lectures (each with a live Q&A), on the Life and Letters of Paul, delivered by some of the most highly qualified New Testament scholars in the known universe, in terms accessible to layfolk. It will be Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21-22; anyone who comes will get the conference as a recording for life-time use; anyone who wants the recording and can’t come can do that too! We are nothing if not flexible.
This will be our second annual New Insights Conference. We had well over 2000 come to the inaugural event last year, and heading into it we weren’t sure how it would be received. Oh boy was it received well. The presentations were crisp, clear, and informative, by world-renowned scholars, all of whom know how to communicate serious advances in scholarship in terms that non-scholars can understand. Tons of participants told us that they came into the event thinking there really wasn’t much “New” they expected to learn ,and came away thinking “Whoa, I was wrong about *that*.”
This year’s will be the same. I’ve hand-picked the presenters, their topics are interesting, many of them are controversial even among scholars,, and the theme could not be more important for anyone interested in the New Testament.
Moreover, we have expanded what the conference will entail — with extended opportunities for participants to engage with our corps of scholars beyond the lectures and Q&As thenselves.
The conference is not connected with the Blog per se, apart from the facts that the issues are all directly related to what we do here and that I’m the one organizing and moderating the event.
Are you interested? Here’s where you can go to learn more and register: https://www.bartehrman.com/new-insights-into-the-new-testament-conference-2024
Hello!
1) On what basis aren’t christians supposed to obey the law/torah of the OT?
Considering the argument that only the decalogue is the natural law to be kept, these laws, including resting on the sabbath – which is Saturday – is not obeyed by the majority of Christians. Nor is the making of images by some groups
On top of all that, the commandments have their words cut of and modified to suit certain purposes. (E.g sabbath being now lord’s day or parts like “God punishing children for their parents’ sin” being removed while preaching/posting)
2) What is your view on Michael Coogan’s remark that God has sexual parts? He quotes:
Ezekiel 8:2 NRSV
[2] I looked, and there was a figure that looked like a human being; below what appeared to be its loins it was fire, and above the loins it was like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming amber.
1. Depends which Christians you ask. Those who take Matthew 5:17-20 and 23:2-3 seriously certainly have grounds.
2. I don’t think Coogan is saying he really thinks God has genitals, but htat part of the Bible assume he does
1. Depends which Christians you ask. Those who take Matthew 5:17-20 and 23:2-3 seriously certainly have grounds.
2. I don’t think Coogan is saying he really thinks God has genitals, but htat part of the Bible assume he does
I saw Jason Staples did a YouTube video with James Tabor and what said on the podcast Bart is clearly correct, this is one very smart guy. Very smart indeed and a terrific communicator of ideas (a skill he shares with you)
There was also a delightful moment where James asked him about what it was like having you as his teacher. When telling a delightful story about his dissertation he does just a wonderful mimic of your voice (respectfully and clearly with love, but still very accurate and very funny)
Worth checking out the full thing on Tabors YouTube channel
Ah, that’s funny. Yeah, I should listen to it.