EVENTS
Bible Study: "The Gospel of John"
Led by John Dear
The Beatitudes Center is presenting a Zoom Lenten Bible Study on “The Gospel of John” led by John Dear.* This study offers an excellent opportunity for local faith communities and their members to reflect on the Gospel of John’s spectacular teachings about the nonviolent Jesus with an internationally known teacher and peacemaker.
The schedule for this Bible Study:
Session #1: Monday, March 10
Session #2: Monday, March 17
Session #3: Monday, March 24
Session #4: Monday, March 31
Session #5: Monday, April 7
All sessions will begin at 6pm Central Time.
You will receive the zoom link a few days beforehand, and a recording link afterwards so that in case you can't watch a session live you can watch the recording afterward.
If you have questions, email Kassandra at beatitudescentermb@gmail.com. Scholarships are available.
To register, go to beatitudescenter.org.
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*John Dear is the Director of the Beatitudes Center and an internationally known author, speaker and peacemaker. Archbishop Desmond Tutu nominated John for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. In his nomination Archbishop Tutu said, “John Dear is the embodiment of a peacemaker. His teaching is to love yourself…your neighbor, your enemy, and…the world...He is a man who has the courage of his convictions and who speaks out and acts against war…and any situation where a human being might be at risk through violence...John Dear is compelling all of us to stand up and take responsibility for the suffering of humanity so often caused through selfishness and greed.”
To Whom Does the Land of Israel/Palestine Belong: A Biblical Perspective
A Bible Study with Dr. Dennis Olson
Tuesday, April 1 | | 7 PM (CT) | Online (Zoom)
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As the scene of important encounters with God at the origin of their religions, Jews, Christians, and Muslims all claim a special relationship with the land of Canaan/Palestine. This raises a theological question: "To whom does this land belong?”
This question has become an important dimension of the political debate about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Based on their understanding of certain texts from Jewish scriptures, some biblical scholars claim that God gave this land to the Jews, and they have the right to remove all non-Jewish inhabitants. Many others interpret these texts differently and reject that claim. In this Bible Study, Dr. Olson examines and evaluates this interpretation with reference to the debate between Palestinian theologian Mitri Raheb and Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggeman. This study will also examine biblical texts that appear to encourage work for a peaceful or multi-state solution for this conflicted land and suffering land and people.
Following the presentation, participants will be able to engage in conversation with Dr. Olson and one another about the use of these biblical texts to support political violence in the Middle East struggle and how other texts might be used to support peace-making going forward.
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Dennis T. Olson served as Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology and Chair of the Biblical Studies Department at Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently the Pentateuch general editor for a thirty-volume project titled The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (Walter de Gruyter).