News
Visit of Prominent New Testament Scholar
The renowned New Testament scholar, Professor Richard Bauckham, was one of the principal speakers at a seminar on atonement for the ordinands in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in April.
Professor Bauckham, formerly Professor of New Testament studies in St Andrew’s University, is best known for his challenging thesis that, contrary to scholarly consensus, the four Gospels are closely based on the eyewitness testimony of those who knew Jesus. This was the central argument of his 2006 volume Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony and this will also be the focus of the public lecture.
Permanent and occasional teaching staff of the institute were joined by several academics from other Irish institutions, including the Revd Professor Stephen Williams, of Union Theological College, Belfast; the Revd Dr Richard Clurtterbuck, of Edgehill Theological College, Belfast; Dr Catriona Russell, Trinity College Dublin; and the Revd Professor Vincent Twomey of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
From further afield there was Dr Elaine Storkey, formerly of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and the Revd Dr Robin Stockitt of the Anglican Church in Freiburg.
One of the hallmarks of the new MTh programme for ministry formation is its emphasis on integration between the three major strands of student learning – biblical, theological, and ministerial. One of the ways that we this aim is realised in addition to integrative emphases in all the core modules, is through annual integrative seminars. This year’s seminar, focusing around the doctrine of the atonement, seeks to aid students into thinking about the implications of this doctrine for both ministry and the life of faith.
During his visit to the institute, Professor Richard Bauckham also delivered a public lecture in Trinity College Dublin. The lecture in the Swift Theatre, “Jesus and the Eyewitnesses,” was sponsored jointly by CITI and the School of Religions and Theology in TCD.