Week I

           

 

Dianne Miller and Jeff Lawrence introduce the Main Session.

  

Dr. Darrell Bock introduces the book and describes the events that led him to investigate Brown's work.

  

 

Week II

                      

Dr. Bob Pyne and Joni Powers discuss the fact that people today have lost the traditional view of Jesus (as the Christ who was born of a virgin, died, and rose again) and are searching for their own "Jesus" to fill the hole in their spiritual lives.

  

Laurie Weber describes the Jesus Seminar and its findings and explains how the conclusions differ from what the Bible says about Jesus.  The Jesus Seminar was a gathering of academics who decided whether or not Jesus' sayings and actions were historically accurate.  For more information, check out http://www.westarinstitute.org/Jesus_Seminar/jesus_seminar.html

      

Hunter Beaumont, Jeff Lawrence and Jay Rhodes (not pictured) taught about the distinct nature of the Christian scriptures, walking through the history of the early church. They explored how the oral message of the gospel (told by the apostles) was recognized in the New Testament writings.  They also discredited the notion that other "gospels" that were left out of the Bible by describing the decision-making processes of the early church councils.

 

Week III

          

Has historic Christianity oppressed women?  Their conclusion was "yes" and "no."  In explanation,  Dr. Bob Pyne and  Lilian Calles Barger discuss the complex issues surrounding this question in light of the changing cultural view of women throughout history. 

 

  

Kerby Anderson speaks on "Current Trends in American Spirituality," exploring how the shift from modernism to post-modernism has impacted our culture.

 

 

Jan Winebrenner, Dr. Lanier Burns and Monte Martin discuss the relationship of the church to Art and Literature. They believe that the church today needs to employ these elements in a healthy way as it did in the past.