Dr. Vanessa Lovelace is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible is interviewed about her work by Empowering Voices.
Category Archives: Old Testament/Hebrew Bible
Ellen F. Davis Lecture Series on Biblical Prophecy, Part III
This video is the last of three in a series of lectures on biblical prophecy presented by Dr. Ellen F. Davis. Part III is “Abraham and the Origins of Intercessory Prayer.” The lecture discusses the importance of bold intercession and obedience in the context of intimate relationship with God. Davis is Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke University Divinity School.
Ellen F. Davis Lecture Series On Biblical Prophecy, Part I
This video is the first of three in a series of lectures on biblical prophecy presented by Dr. Ellen F. Davis. Part I is “A Prophetic Perspective.” The lecture draws from themes in her new book Biblical Prophecy: Perspectives for Christian Theology, Discipleship, and Ministry. She begins with five features of a prophetic perspective and how it informs Christian thought and practice. Davis is Amos Ragan Kearns Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke University Divinity School.
Is Song of Songs about Sex?
For Valentine’s Day, a few thoughts on interpreting Song of Songs from Karen R. Keen, an instructor and Ph.D. Candidate in Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity at Marquette University. This post was originally published on her blog, Interpreting Scripture.
With poetic lines like “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!” it might seem obvious that Song of Songs is about romance. At least that’s how the book is increasingly interpreted with the advent of modern historical-critical exegesis. Today a quick web search shows pastors and scholars praising the Song as a text about sexual love in marriage: More
Anathea Portier-Young on War in the Old Testament and Healing for Soldiers Today
Dr. Anathea Portier-Young is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Duke University Divinity School. She has studied and taught on the subject of violence in the Old Testament, as well as published on Jewish responses to violence in the Second Temple Period (Apocalypse Against Empire Theologies of Resistance in Early Judaism). In this brief video Portier-Young explores the possibility of finding meaning in biblical depictions of war and lament, including for today’s soldiers who seek healing from the trauma of modern day conflict.
Anna Barbauld on the Psalms
Anna Barbauld, born in 1743 to Presbyterian parents, was a British poet and essayist who rejected detached, rationalistic interpretation of Scripture. From a young age she exhibited a love of learning and prodded her theologian and classicist father to teach her Greek and Latin. She published several works ranging from hymns, children’s literature, statements on women’s issues to objections against the use of Scripture to support slavery. Barbauld’s love of poetry gave her a particular appreciation for the Psalms. In Devotional Pieces Compiled from the Psalms and the Book of Job: To Which Are Prefixed Thoughts on the Devotional Taste, on Sects, and on Establishment she argues for the importance of emotion in the reading and study of Scripture. After presenting her thesis the book comprises a collection of select Psalms. Below are quotes from Devotional Pieces that give us a window into the mind of a Christian thinker squaring off against the rationalistic Enlightenment trends of her time: