Carmichael-Walling Lectures

Reading Scripture in a Divided Church

We hope that you will join us for the 26th annual Carmichael-Walling Lectures at Abilene Christian University. The Lectures are free and open to the public. They will be held in room 114 of the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building at ACU  on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 4:00 and 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jeff Childers at ACU's Graduate School of Theology: childersj@acu.edu. This year's speaker is Stephen Fowl, who is a Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He is a graduate of Wheaton College and holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield in England. He has written numerous books and articles on the relationships between Scripture and theology, including commentaries on Philippians and Ephesians as well as a short introduction to theological interpretation of Scripture. Steve speaks often to clergy and church groups around the country.

4:00 p.m. - Theological Interpretation, Historical Criticism and the Ends of the Christian Life

What are the best methods for interpreting Scripture? Too often, theological types of interpretation common in churches and more historical types of interpretation espoused in universities are seen to be at war with each other. Although this lecture will argue for the priority of interpreting theologically, it will also explore ways in which that sort of reading benefits from more historical types of biblical criticism, underscoring the university’s role in sustaining biblical criticism when churches have not always done so.

7:30 p.m. - Reading Scripture in a Divided Church

In a divided church, differences over scriptural interpretation often lie close to the heart of the conflict. This lecture argues that arguments over scriptural interpretation are necessary parts of church life and they cannot cause division unless there are a variety of other ecclesial failures. These are failures to cultivate a variety of theological virtues. If Christians are concerned about the divisive nature of arguments over Scripture, wouldn't they be best served by directing their attention towards these theological virtues first?

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