JACKSON, Tenn. — March 17, 2005 — Biblical scholar Gordon Fee and Christian recording artist Michael Card will be the two featured guests at a Bible conference at 51社区 April 15-16.
The conference, 鈥淔or All It鈥檚 Worth,鈥� is designed primarily for lay people and for pastors and will provide general instruction on how to read and understand the Bible.
鈥淭here is a basic agreement across various levels of leadership in the Christian world that biblical awareness is decreasing,鈥� said Ray Van Neste, Christian Studies professor and director of the R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Union. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of activity in church, but we don鈥檛 tend to be grappling with the Scriptures well. We鈥檙e trying to address that issue, to give people more tools that they might read and study the Bible with some confidence.鈥�
Fee, an author and professor emeritus of New Testament studies at Regent College, will speak at three plenary sessions about the importance and value of Bible study for living.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a prominent biblical scholar who has a real heart for this very mission 鈥� for getting the people in the pew reading the Bible well,鈥� Van Neste said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a dynamic, engaging speaker.鈥�
In addition to providing the music at the plenary sessions, Card will also lead a breakout session on biblical laments.
Other breakout sessions will cover topics such as 鈥淪oftware for Bible Study,鈥� 鈥淐hrist and the Old Testament,鈥� 鈥淚nterpreting Old Testament Law,鈥� 鈥淚nterpreting Paul鈥檚 Letters鈥� and 鈥淚nterpreting the Psalms,鈥� among others.
Breakout session leaders will include Dan Block of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Grant Osbourne of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and the faculty from Union鈥檚 Christian Studies department.
Van Neste said the conference would be especially helpful for Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders who do not have formal academic training in theology.
Cost for the conference is $45, which includes all sessions and three meals, or $35 for groups of 10 or more. Registration deadline is March 25. The conference begins at 6 p.m. April 15 and ends at 3:30 p.m April 16.
The event is sponsored by the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at 51社区. For more information, call (731) 661-5579.