The Year of Biblical Literacy Lectures

For our final lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, we welcomed author, social critic, and international speaker Os Guinness. Os spoke on the phenomenon of modernity in our world and the challenges (as well as opportunities) it presents for followers of Jesus. Q&A followed. Os Guinness received his doctorate in social sciences from Oxford and has written or edited more than thirty books. He has served as a fellow and guest scholar at many prestigious institutions and has spoken at dozens of the world’s major universities and political and business conferences. (And if his last name sounds familiar... yes, he is the great-great-great grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer.)

In our tenth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, pastor, professor, and co-founder of The Bible Project Tim Mackie lectured on the Bible's view of political power and how the church can influence society for the better. Q&A followed. Tim referenced various Scriptures on the screen throughout the lecture and Q&A, so we highly recommend watching the video version (button below). You may also find it helpful to view the PDF handout of the lecture content. Dr. Mackie is a Professor of Biblical Studies at Western Seminary, Teaching Pastor at Door of Hope, and Co-Founder of The Bible Project.

In our ninth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, social psychologist, author, and professor Christena Cleveland lectured on the sociology of race, ethnicity, discrimination, and privilege before sharing a Biblical framework for honoring and loving the marginalized while pursuing justice and reconciliation between races. Q&A followed the lecture. Dr. Cleveland is the Associate Professor of the Practice of Reconciliation at Duke Divinity School and author of Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep Us Apart.

In our eighth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, author Andy Crouch spoke on the theme of the image of God in the Bible and how it reframes our understanding of our own power and privilege within the unjust systems of the world. Andy is executive editor of Christianity Today and serves on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and Equitas Group, a philanthropic organization focused on ending child exploitation in Haiti and Southeast Asia. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time, and he is the author of books such as Strong and Weak, Playing God, and Culture Making.

In our seventh lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, author, professor, and scholar Scot McKnight lectured on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth, what the Gospel is, and how Jesus fulfills Israel's story. He then answered audience questions relating to Jesus and the Gospel. Dr. McKnight is the author or editor of fifty books and serves as the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois.

In our sixth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, author, professor, and scholar Gerry Breshears lectured on three commonly held views of God's providence as it relates to the presence of evil in the world. He then conducted an extended Q&A while consistently displaying relevant Bible passages on the screen. Given the very visual nature of this lecture and Q&A, we highly recommend watching the video version (button below). You may also find it helpful to view Dr. Breshears' slides or the PDF handout of his lecture content. Dr. Breshears has been a professor of theology at Western Seminary for over thirty years and has authored or co-authored numerous books and articles. He serves on the board for The Bible Project and is also one of Pastor Dave Lomas' close mentors.

In our fifth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture Series, author and scholar Tremper Longman spoke on the various kinds of Wisdom Literature in the Bible and what they tell us about God, relationships, sexuality, suffering, and the meaning of life. ("Wisdom Literature" in the Bible refers to books such as Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.) Dr. Longman is a professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont College and has authored or co-authored over thirty books and numerous articles — many of which have focused on Wisdom Literature. Hosted by Reality SF on May 23rd, 2016, at Dolores Park Church. To learn more about the Year of Biblical Literacy, visit our website.

In our fourth lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture series, writer and speaker Mako Nagasawa spoke on the different forms of restorative justice in the Bible and how they demonstrate God's passion for redemption and life-giving relationships. He then applied these principles to the current issues of systemic racism in the U.S. justice system and mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders. Hosted by Reality SF on May 9th, 2016, at Dolores Park Church. To learn more about the Year of Biblical Literacy, visit our website.

In our third lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy Lecture series, author Josh Butler spoke on some of the toughest questions about violence in the Old Testament. He gave a framework that offered Biblical and historical context to the stories of war and violence we find in Ancient Israel's history. Hosted by Reality SF on April 11th, 2016, at Dolores Park Church. To learn more about the Year of Biblical Literacy, visit our website.

In our second lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy lecture series, author and Old Testament scholar Dr. John Walton spoke on the Ancient Near Eastern context of Genesis 2–3. He offered a unique perspective on the story of Adam and Eve in order to create space for a faithful reading of Scripture along with full engagement with science. Hosted by Reality SF on February 2nd, 2016 at Epic Church To learn more about the Year of Biblical Literacy, visit our website.

In our first lecture in the Year of Biblical Literacy lecture series, Tim Mackie, a Hebrew Bible Scholar and co-founder of The Bible Project, spoke on "The Making of the Bible." He focused on on how the canonized text we call the Bible became the Bible. Hosted by RealitySF on January 18th, 2016 at Dolores Park Church To learn more about the Year of Biblical Literacy, visit our website