Skip to content

Old Testament Studies

Adaptable for Life: The Message of the OT for Contemporary Readers, Session II

Session Abstract

This session offers a preview of select chapters from the forthcoming volume Adaptable for Life: The Message of the OT for Contemporary Readers. The volume is intended to be an up to date, accurate, accessible and user-friendly textbook designed to introduce sophomore level undergraduate students to the books of the Old Testament. As the title suggests, emphasis falls on the enduring significance of these texts to contemporary communities of faith as well as contemporary culture as a whole. Those of us who teach introductory-level courses on the OT often struggle to find a textbook suitable for such a class. This textbook will attempt to fill that niche. This is an opportunity for teachers of such courses to get a feel for the book and to offer feedback before the book goes to press.

 

Paper Abstracts

Kilnam Cha, Abilene Christian University, “The Psalms: How Can We Sing the Songs of YHWH in a Foreign Land?”

How could Israel sing the songs of YHWH during the Babylonian Exile and the second temple era when Israel experienced unimaginable atrocities? That is a crucial interpretive key to understanding the Psalter. Grown over a long period (over hundreds of years), the Psalter in its current form reflects multiple editorial layers and Israel’s continual attempt to stand before God. When faced with defeats and merciless enslavement at the national level, Israel reformulated its theology. The Psalter is a clear example of such an endeavor for Israel to stay faithful to YHWH.

 

Phillip Camp, Lipscomb University, “Ezra-Nehemiah as a Word of God to the Church Today”

Ezra–Nehemiah recounts the struggle of the Jews to reestablish themselves in the land as the community of God’s people in the face of external threats and internal struggles. Ezra, the priest, and Nehemiah, the governor of the province of Judah, are the primary agents in this attempted restoration. Far from being simply a history of what happened “back-then,” Ezra-Nehemiah can speak God’s word into the life of the church today, teaching us how to reorient ourselves on God and guiding us in being a God-centered community, particularly in a time when the church is being moved to margins socially and culturally.

 

Jordan Guy, Harding University, “Feasting on the Leftovers: Why We Must Include 1-2 Chronicles in Our Survey Classes!”

Who likes leftovers? The Greek translators of 1-2 Chronicles renamed it Paraleipomena or “leftovers,” because it contained “things omitted” from Samuel-Kings. No midrashic composition was ever written for Chronicles. The Church Fathers primarily quoted it to supplement their historical reconstructions of Israel. Even today many preachers, Sunday school teachers, and college professors have difficulty justifying time spent in 1-2 Chronicles. Therefore, the purpose of this session is to illuminate the unique and relevant messages of Chronicles and to provide some methods for practical application within an undergraduate context.

Speakers

Kevin Youngblood and Kilnam Cha, Harding University; Abilene Christian University, Co-Conveners

  • Kilnam Cha, Abilene Christian University, “The Psalms: How Can We Sing the Songs of YHWH in a Foreign Land?”
  • Phillip Camp, Lipscomb University, “Ezra-Nehemiah as a Word of God to the Church Today”
  • Jordan Guy, Harding University, “Feasting on the Leftovers: Why We Must Include 1-2 Chronicles in Our Survey Classes!”

Registration Open Now

1 / 5

James Cone with conferee at the CSC in 2017

2 / 5

Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson delivering the CSC plenary address

3 / 5

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), delivering the CSC plenary address.

4 / 5

US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith delivering the CSC plenary address

5 / 5

David Brooks engaging conferees during breakfast at the CSC

2023 Theme: “What Will Be Our Future?”

December 16, 2022

This email is our long-awaited announcement that we now have secured the venue and date for the 2023 CSC, whose theme will be “What Wi...

Charles Kiser to Deliver the 2023 Gailyn Van Rheenen Lecture

March 22, 2023

We are pleased to announce that this year’s Gailyn Van Rheenen Lecturer will be Charles Kiser, who is of Storyline Christian Community...

No Small Endeavor featured as the Hooper Plenary Event

March 9, 2023

We’re pleased to announce that No Small Endeavor (formerly the Tokens Show) will join the Christian Scholars’ Conference on Thur...

Sharon Dirckx to Deliver the Willis Plenary

March 1, 2023

We are pleased to announce that the 2023 John T. Willis Plenary Lecturer will be Neuroscientist Sharon Dirckx. Dirckx speaks and lectures ac...

Site Designed and Developed by 5by5 - A Change Agency