A Big Book in 1.5 Hours
Last week I participated in an online seminar through the University of Michigan’s Enoch Seminar, led by Gabrielle Boccaccini. The webinar was about the Pharisees, and many of the authors in the wonderful volumed edited by Joseph Sievers and Amy Jill Levine, The Pharisees, were involved in the webinar. Each person was given five minutes. Yes, it lasted 1.5 hours but I can assure you will not get another gathering of world class experts on the Pharisees gathered together like this and limited to five minutes. I was privileged to offer a talk on the Pharisees Today in modern evangelicalism. Consider this webinar a big book in 1.5 hours. (I can think of other books that could benefit from such a webinar.]
Here are the speakers at their approximate time of speaking, followed by the sponsors:
2:00-2:05 – Kelley Coblentz-Bautch – Welcome on behalf of the Enoch Seminar
2:05-2:10 – Archie Wright – Welcome on behalf of the Catholic Biblical Association of America
2:10-2:15 – Joseph Sievers
2:15-2:20 – Craig Morrison
2:20-2:25 – Steve Mason
2:25-2:30 – Hermut Löhr
2:30-2:35 – Harold W. Attridge
2:35-2:40 – Mireille Hadas-Lebel
2:40-2:45 – Susannah Heschel
2:45-2:50 – Adele Reinhartz
2:50-2:55 – Scot McKnight
2:55-3:00 – Philip A. Cunningham
3:00-3:05 – David Rosen
3:05-3:10 – A.-J. Levine
3:10-3:28 – Open Discussion
3:28-3:30 – Gabriele Boccaccini – Closing
This event is proudly cosponsored by several international organizations:
American Jewish Committee
Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA)
Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations (CCJR)
Enoch Seminar
Frankel Center for Judaic Studies
International Council of Christians and Jews
Michigan Center for Early Christian Studies (MCECS)
Pontifical Biblical Institute
Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)
I recommend this webinar for you who are teachers to use in the classroom.
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. What a privilege to get all these folks down to five minute summaries.
I recommend that pastors watch this with their staff and get them to quit using unhistorical, dangerous stereotypes.
Speaking of which, in the recent CT article about Hillsong and its scandals, and whether evangelical churches should continue to sing their songs, Sam Storms illustrates this unhistorical stereotype of Pharisees in these words:
To refuse to sing thoroughly biblical worship songs they wrote lest we be somehow tainted or defiled in doing so is both impractical and absurd and will only lead to a legalistic and Pharisaical loch church culture. (2 May, Kelsey Kramer McGinnis, CT, “Should We Keep Singing Hillsong?”)
That’s the problem and that’s why this book is so worth your efforts to read it.
And I want you to read the following wit of Amy Jill Levine, whose mission is to help Christians to become more historically accurate and humane in their interactions with Judaism and the Pharisees.
You know the “You may be a hillbilly if…” comedy routine, well here’s her “You might be a Pharisee if you …”
You might be a Pharisee if… [brackets are mine]
You believe in a combination of fate and free will [most evangelicals]
You believe in the resurrection of the dead and a final judgment [evangelicals]
You reject elitism and favor voluntary groups over inherited positions [check]
You value your traditions, but you also realize they must be reinterpreted in light of new social circumstances [can’t deny that]
You want to make it easier and more meaningful for people to engage in their traditions, and you are willing to discuss how to do so [at the heart of evangelicalism]
You care about multiculturalism and maintaining group identity despite assimilational pressures [check the polls]
You have been maligned over the centuries for your commitment to your traditions. [oy!] And now the drumroll….
You’ve had dinner with Jesus. [At least they did!]
Thank you A-J for truth in wit.
Scot, thank you for linking this amazing webinar. I appreciated your honesty in confessing on behalf of evangelicals our critical destructive bias against “Pharisees,” a sin for which I too was guilty. Hopefully, no more.
Perhaps I don’t see it in my Substack reader, but is there a link or way to access the webinar? Very intrigued.