The
Center for Faith and Society (site in German, part of the Institut for Ecumenical Studies, UniFr) organized their first-ever conference by inviting N.T. Wright, biblical scholar and former Anglican bishop. Not bad for a start! Almost four hundred participated in this four-day event. Congratulations to the team for putting this event together. People from various Christian traditions and theological persuasions attended and...it all happened very peacefully ;-)
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| L to R: N.T. Wright, Ulrich Luz, Markus Lau, James Morgan |
I had a small but enjoyable part in this event. I gave the devotional on Monday morning, then I helped to lead the Question and Answer session on Wednesday afternoon with my colleague Markus Lau (see picture). It was good to explore Wright's thoughts on Paul as a Jewish thinker whose mind and heart were transformed through his encounter(s) with the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit.
With my keen interest in Luke's writings (Luke and Acts), Wright's lectures helped me again to imagine what Paul encountered (with his missionary team) as "the apostle to the nations" and how he responded to genuine pastoral concerns through his convictions as a "Messianic Jew." Wright's lectures were mostly based on his recent books: "Paul and the Faithfulness of God" (Part IV in "Christian Origins and the Question of God").
