VIOLENT GOD? Peaceful God? Interpreting violent portrayals of God for a skeptical world. BIC CANADA - CROSS EXPRESSIONS

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1 Theological Study Day May 6th, 2016 VIOLENT GOD? Peaceful God? Interpreting violent portrayals of God for a skeptical world. BIC CANADA - CROSS EXPRESSIONS

2 Welcome Welcome Pastors, Staff, lay-leaders, and friends of BIC Canada, On behalf of BIC Canada we welcome each and every one of you to this day. We are very thankful to the many guests who are joining with us today. We have been praying for weeks in advance of today. Our prayer is that all of us would be challenged to love Christ deeper, to see more of the Father s heart for us, and to be more skillfully equipped by the Spirit to share the message of Christ with a skeptical world. We will not all agree on what is said here today! One of the strengths of our BIC heritage is our ability to disagree and walk in unity at the same time. Today will simply extend our shared value of wrestling together through the challenge of Scripture and discerning together what God might be saying to us for today! Thank you for being a part of this day. May we know Christ and make Him known. Resources Resources from Mark Mark D. Baker and Joel B. Green, Recovering the Scandal of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament & Contemporary Contexts, 2 nd Edition, InterVarsity, 2011 In-depth study of biblical texts related to the atonement, overview and assessment of most common atonement theories, examples of contextual atonement theology. Mark D. Baker, ed. Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross, Baker Academic, 2006 Eighteen examples of diverse (non-penal satisfaction) atonement imagery from various settings from a California jr. high Sunday Class to an Edmonton Coffee Shop, from an Anglican homily to a Methodist newmembers class, from a sermon at Duke Divinity School to a chapel talk at an evangelical college, from Zimbabwe to New Zealand, from Orthodox to Mennonites. Atonement Resources - various articles, including a foundational narrative of atonement (a way to have a unifying platform without the downsides of embracing a single atonement theory), and more examples of atonement images and contextual proclamation. BIC Canada - Leadership Cabinet Page 2 Page 11

3 Upcoming Dates Mark your calendars. November 1-2 Frosh Retreat Orientation for New Pastors November 3 Cross Expression Day Why are we not reaching the NONES? Understanding the theology and perceptions of the Spiritual but Not Religious - With author, theologian, and sociologist Linda Mercadante. Linda s most recent book is Belief without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual but not Religious. November 5, 2017 (yes, 2017) Theological Study Day "Spiritual Warfare and Why It Matters to Peacemaking and Kingdom Work. - Guest Presenter: Greg Boyd Announcement: Preparing Leaders Lunch TODAY - 12:45-1:15 in the Annex Room We have two Anabaptist Seminaries represented here today. Fresno Pacific Seminary and Conrad Grebel University College are both grappling with the opportunities of preparing church leaders for the complexities of 21st Century ministry in North America. Join us over lunch as two Seminaries share their perspectives on the training needs for current and future church leaders. Fresno Pacific Seminary and Conrad Grebel University College will also be sharing information about their respective training opportunities. Both Fresno and Conrad Grebel each have a unique approach and offer affordable theological training from an Anabaptist perspective. PART ONE - Violence in the Old Testament 9:30 AM Collective Worship 10:00 AM Violence in the OT Derek Suderman 11:12 AM BREAK 11:27 AM Which Messiah? Derek Suderman 12:34 AM LUNCH PART TWO - Non-Violent Atonement 1:30 PM Assessment of Penal Substitutionary Atonement, Factoring in Other Views, and Justification 2:40 PM BREAK 3:00 PM Non-Violent Atonement in Scripture and Q & A 4:10 PM Take Aways & Wrap Up PART THREE - Dinner and a Debate 5:00 PM DINNER 6:00 PM Debate on Interpreting Violent Portrayals of God in the Canaanite Conquest 7:30 PM END Page 10 Page 3

4 Biographies Derek Suderman (Ph.D, St. Michael s) is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo. Derek is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Theological Studies at Conrad Grebel University College and the University of Waterloo. An Old Testament specialist, his published research has centred primarily on lament and the Psalms with additional emphasis on Wisdom Literature, Prophets, and violence in the Bible. Suderman s commitment to biblical engagement is reflected in his: teaching in congregations, regional settings, and Benin, West Africa; writing and consulting for Sunday School curricula; and being a member of the Editorial Council of the Believer s Church Bible Commentary series. Professor of Mission and Theology at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary (formerly Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary) Mark previously was a missionary in Honduras for ten years where he began his journey to Anabaptism. Mark also served as a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for three years. He has authored a number of books in English and Spanish. He continues ministry involvement in Latin America through regular visits. He is married to Lynn and they are parents of two adult daughters. Some of the areas Mark has taught and written about include: atonement, contextual theology, Galatians, ethics of freedom, Anabaptist ethics for contemporary life, honorshame, Jacques Ellul, and Latin America. For more info on Mark see: Eric Seibert Professor of Old Testament at Messiah College and the author of a number of books and articles. Eric s two most recent books are Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God (Fortress 2009) and The Violence of Scripture: Overcoming the Old Testament's Troubling Legacy (Fortress 2012). Eric is the winner of the Society of Biblical Literature Regional Scholar Award (Eastern Great Lakes, 2005) and has served as President of the Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society ( ). Eric has also served as the Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies Initiative at Messiah College. Additionally, he has both training and experience in conflict mediation. He enjoys speaking about topics related to the Old Testament's problematic portrayals of God, the violence of Scripture, and the need to read the Bible responsibly, in ways that promote peace. He is currently working on a book provisionally titled Disarming the Church: Why Christians Must Forsake Violence to Follow Jesus and Change the World (Cascade Books). Eric is a member of the Brethren in Christ Church. He lives with his wife and three children in Grantham, PA. Page 4 - Teaching Notes Section 2 The Cross: Redemptive Violence? SECTION TWO Part Four: An Alternative Story Luke What are ways that issues of shame and honour are seen in the parable and in the situation that led to Jesus telling the parable? 2. What are the various ways that the Father takes the initiative to restore relationships in the parable? How is Jesus doing so in Luke 15? 3. How does the Father show love in ways that cost him in some way? How is Jesus doing so in Luke 15? 4. If Jesus was going to tell the parable based on the penal satisfaction theory of atonement how would the story be different? 5. If you include Luke 15 as an influential part of your atonement theology how might it shape your understanding of the cross? 6. How does Luke 15 inform our thinking about our central question of God s role in the violence of the cross? Part Five: Concluding Thoughts and Q and A Page 9

5 - Teaching Notes Section 1 The Cross: Redemptive Violence? SECTION ONE Part Two: Imagining Possibilities: Moving from Penal Satisfaction to a Multi-Faceted Gospel One, flat surface image cannot capture the depth and beauty of a diamond. The cross and resurrection are like a diamond--rich and deep with meaning and significance. The more facets of the gospel diamond we use the richer will be our worship, and the stronger connection there will be between the cross and discipleship and ethics. Part Three. Justification What is justification? How does our understanding of it influence how we interpret the cross? Common understandings of justification and understandings of what it means for God to be a just God are deeply influenced by Western legal notions of justice and by Luther s experience of liberation from a burden of guilt through reading Paul. What might Paul have been thinking about when he used the word justified in Galatians 2:11-16, or wrote of God s justice/righteousness in Romans 3:21-26? Was he imagining a Western courtroom or something else? Page 8 Derek Suderman - Teaching Notes Session 1 Session I: (How) Can Violent Language Be a Theological Resource? We sometimes identify (and prioritize) peace passages but then are puzzled by those that either link God to violence or speak violently. Over time, we may even create an implicit (sometimes explicit) category of violent passages to avoid or, more drastically, functionally remove from our Bibles. Concentrating on psalms of lament, this session will concentrate on a question we often don t ask: what might we learn about the Gospel from such violent passages? Further, how might this inform and challenge our understanding of the Gospel of peace? A. Jacob at the Jabok River (Gen. 32:22-32) A brief look at this passage of Jacob wrestling will frame our attempt to wrestle with difficult parts of Scripture. With whom does Jacob wrestle? B. Prayer and Lament (Ps. 6) Psalm 6 will provide a window into how we understand prayer and how this compares with biblical assumptions of what prayer consists of. What is a prayer? Does Psalm 6 qualify (is it a prayer)? Why/why not? C. Shalom as the End of Lament Using several examples (such as Ps. 55, 109, 88, 94, and 137), we will ask what such psalms can teach us about shalom (comprehensive wellbeing). D. Implications? Page 5

6 Derek Suderman - Teaching Notes Session 2 Session II: The Transformation of the Messiah The New Testament quotes or alludes to the Psalms and Isaiah more than any other books of the OT; so much so that the Psalms are crucial for the NT depiction of Jesus as the Christ/Messiah. With very few exceptions, the Psalms allow one human figure to legitimately use violence: the anointed king. In this session we will discover both what is necessary for the idea of the king (messiah) to become an expected future, ideal Messiah, and how the NT reinterprets this figure. As followers of Jesus Christ, how does recognizing this transformation impact our understanding and proclamation of the Gospel? A. The Anointed in the Psalms (Ps. 18, 89, 2) A brief look at the role of the messiah/christ in the Psalms reveals scriptural grounds for expecting a militaristic, conquering Messiah. B. Jesus Baptism and Temptation (Matthew 3-4) Jesus identity and role look different depending on which passages you hear in the voice from heaven (Ps. 2; Isa. 42; Gen. 22) What does this passage tell us about Jesus temptation? C. Peter s Confession (Mt. 16:13-28) Peter identifies Jesus as the Christ. But what did he mean? D. The Passion of Christ and Lament? Although lament makes us quite uncomfortable, it provides the backbone of the Passion story in the Gospels. (Ps. 22, 69, 109) E. Implications? Page 6 - Teaching Notes Section 1 The Cross: Redemptive Violence? SECTION ONE Part One: Central Questions and Assessment of Penal Satisfaction Theory of Atonement The cross is violent. No question about that. At issue is God s role in the violence of the cross. Central questions we will address today: Appeasement: Did God have to punish Jesus in order to be able to forgive? Is the cross punishment that appeases God satisfying justice and enabling God to forgive justly? Recompense/Payback: Is God s justice fundamentally retributive or restorative? Many people would answer yes to the first questions, and thus view the cross as an act of God s violence a necessary act of retributive punishment. These views are reflected in what is called penal satisfaction theory of atonement or penal substitution theory of atonement. What are pros and cons of this atonement theology? Page 7

[MJTM 15 ( )] BOOK REVIEW

[MJTM 15 ( )] BOOK REVIEW [MJTM 15 (2013 2014)] BOOK REVIEW Jeremy R. Treat. The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014. 284 pp. + indexes. Pbk. ISBN: 978-0-310-51674-3.