"JAMES THE BROTHER OF JESUS" IS THE TOPIC OF THE 2004 LENTEN LECTURE SERIES AT BARD COLLEGE Weekly Series with the Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton runs from March 5 through April 2
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—The 2004 Lenten Lecture Series, "James the Brother of Jesus," presented by the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard College, will begin on Friday, March 5, and continue through Friday, April 2. Presented by the Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, the weekly luncheons will meet at noon in the multipurpose room of the Bertelsmann Campus Center. The cost for each lecture (including lunch) is $12 or $8 for members of the Institute of Advanced Theology. As space is limited, preregistration is requested.
"Scholars acknowledge James' pivotal importance within Jesus' movement, but the background and extent of his authority remain in the shadows. In this series, I would like to explore the exact relationship between James and Jesus as brothers, identifying their parents and detailing their rivalry during the time Jesus was active in Galilee," says Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard. "On that basis, we can then understand how they made common cause in attempting to change worship in the Temple in Jerusalem. After the crucifixion, James emerged as the virtual caliph of Jesus, insisting with unrivaled influence that his brother's movement could only be understood as vindicating the promises of Scripture for Israel." A discussion led by members of the Red Hook Ministerium will follow each lecture.
Bruce Chilton
, executive director of the Institute of Advanced Theology, is a scholar of early Christianity and Judaism and the author of the first critical translation of the Aramaic version of Isaiah (The Isaiah Targum, 1987). He has written academic studies that put Jesus in his Jewish context (Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography, 2000; Pure Kingdom, 1996; The Temple of Jesus, 1992; and The Galilean Rabbi and His Bible, 1984). Chilton has taught in Europe at the universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Münster, and in the United States at Yale University (as the first Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament) and at Bard College. Throughout his career he has been active in the pastoral ministry of the Anglican Church; he is currently rector of the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Barrytown, New York.The Institute of Advanced Theology was established to foster critical understanding based on scholarship, which aims to make true religious pluralism possible. Since its inception in 1996, the Institute’s work has focused on how religions influence history, society, and other religions, and are in turn influenced by them. The Institute gratefully acknowledges support from members of the Institute, the Crohn Family Trust, and Tisch Family Foundation, as well as grants from The Levy Economics Institute and Bard College. For further information about the IAT, its programs, or membership, call 845-758-7279, e-mail [email protected], or visit the website www.bard.edu/iat.
For further information, call the Institute office at 845-758-7279, e-mail [email protected], or visit the website www.bard.edu/iat.
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