
Dr. Dale A. Meyer
President Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Throughout the centuries, the church has read and interpreted the Scriptures with the confidence that these very Scriptures are both about Jesus Christ and written for us. Figurative and mystical meanings, allegories and typologies, the three-fold spiritual sense — these were the common reading practices for the majority of the church’s history. During the last 250 years, biblical scholarship abandoned these practices in favor of methods tied more closely to the Bible’s language and history, thoroughly reshaping and enhancing the church’s understanding of the biblical texts. How has this affected the meaning and relevance of our interpretations? What insights have we gained — and what have we lost? What is the goal of exegesis and how does it relate to preaching, teaching and the church’s contemporary encounter with Christ and the Word of God?
In this symposium, plenaries and sectionals will compare and contrast ancient and modern exegetical methods and approaches, grapple with the Bible’s meaning and relevance, examine a variety of Scripture passages and explore several types of interpretations. By doing so, we hope to deepen our love for the Scriptures, inspire biblical preaching — and hear anew the Word of God which, in the end, interprets us.
View the event agenda, access handouts, receive updates, network with other attendees and much more.
If you have any questions, please contact Continuing Education at 314-505-7286 or [email protected].
Dr. David Maxwell, the Louis A. Fincke and Anna B. Shine Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Paul Raabe, Professor in Biblical Studies at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Ariz., and Professor Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and Dr. Timothy Saleska, Professor of Exegetical Theology and dean of Ministerial Formation Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Bruce Schuchard, Professor of Exegetical Theology and Chairman of the Department of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and Dr. Joel Elowsky, Professor of Historical Theology, Dean of Advanced Studies and Coordinator of International Seminary Exchange Programs, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
Dr. Glenn Nielsen, Director of Vicarage and Deaconess Internships, Director of Certification and Professor of Practical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and Dr. Erik Herrmann, Professor of Historical Theology, Dean of Theological Research and Publication and Director of the Center for Reformation Research, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo.
If you have any questions, please contact Continuing Education at 314-505-7286 or [email protected].
TIME | EVENT | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|
8 a.m. | Vendor Fair | Sieck Hall 201/202 |
8-8:30 a.m. | Registration Open | Coffee and Refreshments Chapel Plaza (In case of rain, Sieck Hall) |
8:30-9 a.m. | Chapel | Service of the Word Dr. David Peter, Dean of Faculty and Professor of Practical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus |
9-9:45 a.m. | Coffee and Refreshments | Sieck Hall |
9:45-10 a.m. | Introduction | Welcome and Introduction Dr. Thomas J. Egger, President of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Erika Bennett, Director of Continuing Education, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
10-11:30 a.m. | Plenary | The Exegetical Elephant in the Room Dr. David Maxwell, Louis A. Fincke and Anna B. Shine Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Lunch | (included with paid registration) Wartburg and Koburg Halls |
1:30-3 p.m. | Plenary (Old Testament) | In Sacred Page and Winged Word: Prophets and Poets for Israel and the Church Dr. Paul Raabe, Professor in Biblical Studies at Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, Ariz., and Professor Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Dr. Timothy Saleska, Professor of Exegetical Theology and Dean of Ministerial Formation Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
3-3:15 p.m. | Coffee Break | Sieck Hall Foyer |
3:15-4:15 p.m. | Sectionals 1 | (see below) |
4:15-5:15 p.m. | Sectionals 2 | (see below) |
5:30-6:30 p.m. | Dinner Reception | (included with paid registration) Koburg Hall and Iso Plaza |
7-8:30 p.m. | Lecture | Annual Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury Lecture in New Testament Theology Dr. James W. Voelz, the Dr. Jack Dean Kingsbury Professor of New Testament Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
TIME | EVENT | DESCRIPTION |
---|---|---|
8 a.m. | Vendor Fair | Sieck Hall 201/202 |
8-8:30 a.m. | Coffee and Refreshments | Chapel Plaza (In case of rain, Sieck Hall) |
8:30-9:30 a.m. | Chapel | Service of the Word and Holy Communion Dr. David Maxwell, Louis A. Fincke and Anna B. Shine Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus |
10-11:30 a.m. | Plenary (New Testament) | Taste and See that the Lord is Good: Interpretations of the Wedding Feast at Cana Dr. Bruce Schuchard, Professor of Exegetical Theology and Chairman of the Department of Exegetical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Dr. Joel Elowsky, Professor of Historical Theology, Dean of Advanced Studies and Coordinator of International Seminary Exchange Programs, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Lunch | (included with paid registration) Wartburg and Koburg Halls |
1-2 p.m. | Sectionals 3 | (see below) |
2-3:30 p.m. | Plenary (Preaching) | In Principio … Sermo: The Preacher as Exegete Dr. Glenn Nielsen, Director of Placement, Director of Vicarage and Deaconess Internships, Director of Certification and Professor of Practical Theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Dr. Erik Herrmann, Professor of Historical Theology, Dean of Theological Research and Publication and Director of the Center for Reformation Research at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
3:30-4 p.m. | Closing | Wrap Up and Itinerarium Dr. Erik Herrmann, Professor of Historical Theology, Dean of Theological Research and Publication and Director of the Center for Reformation Research at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Rev. Paul Sieveking, Campus Chaplain, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis Werner Auditorium |
Our goal to be faithful to “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) centers on Jesus Christ. What does “Christocentric” mean in preaching, teaching, and in devoted daily lives? This sectional will reflect on how we present Christ in the church year and lectionary, in reading and preaching the Old Testament, and in the practical task of preparing Christocentric sermon outlines.
Werner Auditorium
In contrast with modern Christian teaching and preaching, the church fathers had a general predilection to cite Ps. 82:6, “I said, You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.” The first six centuries of the Christian exegetical tradition evidence about 300 citations of the passage, fairly evenly divided between Greek and Latin sources. The accompanying interpretations varied. The named “gods” may be identified as angels or humans, as judges or priests or prophets or all the godly or even all Christians, as those in the past or the present or the future. Alongside this diversity of thought, what is striking is the way that Origen anticipated so much of the tradition that followed. Writing in the first half of the third century, this early father, later deemed to be of questionable orthodoxy, held an oversized influence over what was to follow. But is this phenomenon indeed a consequence of influence or simply of one author boldly spinning out the full potential intertextual logic of the Scriptures themselves? In some instances we might go so far as to trace a lineage of teachers and students. In others, we might simply posit that similar circumstances and similar concerns gave rise to similar applications of the text.
Presidents Room
Before parishioners can profitably deal with and understand the Scriptures in real depth, they must have some acquaintance with basic principles for interpreting those writings. Dr. James W. Voelz recently completed a manuscript, entitled “Principles of Biblical Interpretation for Everyone,” that is designed to do just that. Not simply a reworking or a simplifying of What Does This Mean?: Principles of Biblical Interpretation for the Post-Modern World (a seminary-level hermeneutics textbook), this is a completely new effort, written from the ground up, designed to entice laypeople to delve into the riches the Scriptures and to begin to interpret them “for all they are worth.” In this session, Voelz will describe the scope of this project and the unique set-up of the book, and together with the participants, will take a detailed look at one of the chapters.
Werner Auditorium
The Apostle Paul teaches that Christ’s resurrection on the third day was in accord with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:4). It was common among the early church fathers to read Hosea 6:2 as one of those Scriptures that is full of Gospel hope. Yet when Hosea is read in its eighth century BC context, condemnation of Israel’s sin abounds rather than hope of the coming Messiah. Can this impasse between the interpretive move of the early church and current hermeneutical practice be resolved?
Presidents Room
The beginning of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (InterVarsity Press) was based on a lie and deception. As the operations manager and editor of this highly acclaimed and successful series, Dr. Joel Elowsky will take attendees on a behind the scenes look at some of the developments with the commentary series, sharing a few stories that may not be so well known and also looking toward what lies ahead.
Werner Auditorium
The fathers of the church are famous (or perhaps infamous) for their interpretations of Scripture. In contrast to many modern hermeneutical methods, the fathers often focused on the spiritual senses of Scripture, seeking to discern, for example, connections between the narratives of the Old Testament and the mysteries of the Christian faith. Yet, the fathers also were deeply interested in the literal sense of Scripture and sought to discover its meaning. In light of this, it is worth exploring how the fathers went about interpreting Scripture. In this presentation, Dr. Andrew Chronister will focus on St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) and discuss some of the exegetical principles he employed to interpret Scripture. Key questions for this examination include: How does one identify the meaning of the literal sense? To what degree is the church’s faith an important hermeneutical guide for the exegetical process? What are the spiritual senses of Scripture? Why should one interpret Scripture via the spiritual senses?
Presidents Room
Concordia Seminary’s “Faith and Writing” workshop explores various forms of creative writing — starting a blog, creating a sermon or devotion, “traditional” forms of creative writing (story, nonfiction, drama, poetry) — and everything in between.
Calling lay people, students involved in homiletical education, pastors and others interested in the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world: the Lay Bible Institute is for you!
The Seminary’s annual Multiethnic Symposium brings together Lutherans and mission leaders of various ethnicities from across the country for workshops, discussions and worship.
The Pre-Lenten Workshop includes sermon manuscripts, textual notes, orders of service for midweek services and also suggestions for the Sundays of Lent to help pastors in developing their own worship resources.
Hosted by congregations across the country May through August, and led by Seminary faculty, these workshops offer an opportunity to delve deeply into topics ranging from the teachings of Martin Luther to pastoral tools, such as preaching, responding to conflict and teaching confirmation.