There's lots of good stuff coming up in the Baltimore area in the next few months: public lectures by theologians, informal courses, and interfaith prayer opportunities.
Follow me below the fold to see why I'm so excited that September is finally here!
And drop me a line if you plan to attend any of these - maybe we can meet up.
Lectures
The Ecumenical Institute of Theology presents Dr. Amy-Jill Levine in the 2007 Dunning lecture series on Monday, Oct 22 at 7:30. Her lecture will be entitled "Jesus and Judaism: The Connection Still Matters." Her most recent book, The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus (HarperSanFrancisco, 2006), is related to her lecture. Dr. Levine is the Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies in the Divinity School, the Department of Religious Studies, and the Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She has held office in the Society of Biblical Literature, the Catholic Biblical Association, and the Association for Jewish Studies. In addition to her scholarly work and frequent speaking engagements, Professor Levine is often heard on NPR, and she has recorded "Introduction to the Old Testament," "Great Figures of the Old Testament," and "Great Figures of the New Testament" for the Teaching Company’s popular series of video courses.
(Heads up for next semester - as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, the EI plans to bring Bishop N. T. Wright to visit in late February, to speak on Christian unity.)
The Mount St. Agnes Theological Center for Women, together with St. Ignatius Church, presents a 2 hour program by James Alison on Monday Oct 1, titled Who sacrifices whom to whom? Unpicking Atonement's knots".
The Institute for Christian-Jewish Studies presents The 2007 ICJS Bernard Manekin Lecture, on Faith, Reason, and the Modern University, by Dr. John Sexton, President of New York University, on
September 24, 2007.
Courses
The ICJS also presents its fall mini-course God Said it, I believe it, That settles it!" Revelation and the Authority of Sacred Scripture, on three Tuesdays in September. The course instructors are Rosann Catalano (Catholic), Christopher Leighton (Presbyterian), and Joel Zaiman (Jewish). (I'm so excited about this course!)
Mount St. Agnes presents a variety of fall programs, including courses on St Teresa of Avila, The Second Sex and the Church, and the Cinema Teologico "dinner and a movie" series.
The Maryland Bible Society presents its fall seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 22 at Reisterstown United Methodist Church in Reisterstown. Dr. Robert Miller, Professor of Religious Studies at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, will lecture on The Historical Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Interfaith Events
The Friends of the Northeast Interfaith Peace Garden will offer an interfaith prayer service and candlelight labyrinth walk on September 11.
Pax Christi Baltimore is one of many organizations that will co-sponsor a "Tent of Abraham" interfaith peace event on Sunday, Oct 8th from 3:30 to 6:30. It will include prayer, a panel discussion on the peace traditions in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths, and will close with a sharing of food and drink after sunset to end the daily Ramadan fast.
On Saturday, October 20 St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, the Islamic Society of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Interfaith Outreach Council will co-sponsor an all-day workshop entitled Islamic Perspectives on Peace and Conflict.