Announcements

Scripture and Tradition: A Series You Don’t Want to Miss!

Announcements, Reading Scripture / By

A church in the northeast has been up to some good stuff lately. I accidentally came across Highrock Covenant Church last year when either Beth Allison Barr (The Making of Biblical Womanhood) or Kristin Du Mez (Jesus and John Wayne) posted on Twitter about speaking for a series on American Evangelicalism. I had been pondering my faith heritage within evangelicalism for several years, and certainly since 2016, trying to make sense of it.  So, I eagerly signed up for the Zoom links to watch the series live and participate in discussion groups. That’s how I encountered resident theologian Scott Rice, his wife Abigail, and other staff at Highrock like pastor Meghan DeJong

Little did I know that Scott would read my books and invite me to be a speaker for the fall 2023 series on Scripture and Tradition to discuss my latest work, The Word of a Humble God: The Origins, Inspiration, and Interpretation of Scripture. I’m part of a line-up of wonderful scholars including Dennis Edwards (Vice President/Dean; North Park University), Janette Ok (New Testament; Fuller Seminary), Tim Mackie (The Bible Project), and Peter Enns (Old Testament; Eastern University). This will be a fantastic discussion on the meaning of Scripture for our lives. I’m eager to tune in, and I hope you will as well.

The series starts this Tuesday, November 28th from 8-9:00pm Eastern Time. The series is FREE and open to the public. It will run through spring 2024 (about one speaker a month). You can register to receive the Zoom link and more information by clicking HERE. The series will also be recorded, so if you can’t make it to the live Zoom event, still sign up to get details about when and where it will be posted to YouTube.

Image and link to the Theology Lab Scripture and Tradition series featuring, Dennis Edwards, Janette Ok, Tim Mackie, Karen Keen, and Peter Enns.

Highrock is not a flashy megachurch. Nor has it used these stellar theology labs as a means to draw attention to itself. Highrock started these discussions for its own congregational community. For example, when I attended the series on evangelicalism, I was one of the few that was not a Highrock member, despite the line-up of big names. Rather, Highrock was simply trying to create resources for its people to help shape their theological imagination and promote spiritual formation. But as I participated, it quickly became apparent to me that more people need to know about this incredible resource. So far, Highrock’s Theology Lab has done a series on:

You can keep up on Theology Lab happenings through Highrock’s website or Theology Lab Facebook page. You can also find many other helpful presentations beyond Theology Lab on Highrock’s YouTube channel.

FREE 10-Week Book Discussion on the Origins and Interpretation of the Bible

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All you need for this FREE 10-week book discussion is yourself, the book, and a good cup of tea!

What: Intimate conversation with the author, Karen Keen, on her latest book The Word of a Humble God: The Origins, Inspiration, and Interpretation of Scripture. No lecture. Just one hour of engaging discussion. How did we get the Bible? How do we make sense of Scripture as inspired when it has violence and other difficult texts? Does the Bible still have value today? How should we best interpret it now? This topic is truly near and dear to my heart. I believe this book can have a significant impact on your faith life. Share your thoughts and ask your questions. We will contemplate the material origins of the Bible, theories of inspiration, and how Scripture has been interpreted throughout Christian tradition.

When: Tuesday evenings, September 5th through Nov 14th (no meeting on October 31st)

Time: 8:30-9:30pm EASTERN TIME (5:30-6:30 Pacific / 7:30-8:30pm Central)

REQUIRED: Participants are required to read the weekly assigned chapters of The Word of a Humble God: The Origins, Inspiration, and Interpretation of Scripture. At the end of each chapter are helpful learning activities, which participants will complete to foster optimal discussion and engagement. The book can be purchased here or at any major book outlet.

Register by September 4th by filling out the form below. Karen looks forward to connecting with you!

“Karen Keen’s The Word of a Humble God: The Origins, Inspiration, and Interpretation of Scripture is perhaps the best comprehensive and accessible introduction to the Bible available today” – Dr. Michael Graves, Wheaton College

Class on the Bible and Same-Sex Relationships: Register by Sept 1st

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Picture of a couple holding hands and drinking coffee
Are you a ministry leader helping your congregation navigate the question of same-sex relationships? Do you have a loved one who is gay? Maybe you have questions about your own sexuality in relation to faith? Karen R. Keen will be teaching her 10-week LIVE online course starting September 5, 2023. Register for “The Bible, Church, and Same-Sex Relationships” here! This is the ninth time in a row Karen will have offered the class. Participants have included pastors, Christian leader, parents, and LGBTQ folk. The course does far more than look at the handful of Scriptural passages on same-sex relations; it gets at the question of how we formulate ethics in the first place. Participants from a variety of theological viewpoints are welcome. The focus of the course is not debate, but rather serious inquiry and reflection together. Sexuality is one of the most important topics facing the church today. This is a chance to ask the questions you’ve been wanting to explore. Among other things we will cover:
  • ancient Israelite and early Christian views on sex.
  • biblical passages on same-sex relations in light of reception history.
  • causes of same-sex attraction.
  • biblical and contemporary understandings of marriage.
  • ancient and current Christian perspectives on the meaning of sex difference.
  • methods of biblical interpretation, particularly for formulating ethics.
  • how to construct a framework for Christian ethics

REGISTER HERE!

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