This week we had Professor Donald A. Hagner on campus for the Zarley Lectures in biblical theology. Some local pastors stopped in, but mostly it was a chapel filled with students. Professor Hagner spoke on Jewish-Christian relations in light of both Paul’s theology and the quest for the historical Jesus.
He managed to steer a course between supersessionism (which teaches that the Church’s election replaces Israel’s election — which is denied in Rom 11) and two-covenant theology (which teaches that God has one covenant for Israel and one covenant with the Church — which is denied by the NT’s new covenant theology as fulfillment). The quest for the historical Jesus, he concluded, has helped but it does not lead to a Jesus on whom both Jews and Christians can completely agree. Memorably, he stated that the faith of Jesus unites us but faith in Jesus separates us.
We are again grateful to Kermit Zarley for funding these lectures.
Next year’s lecturer will be Phyllis Tickle.