Lecture series on Paul the saint starts April 29
A series of four lectures dealing with Paul the saint, especially from the perspective of Paul's Jewish roots, will be held at several locations in the Twin Cities.
The lectures will be given by author Alan Segal, the Ingeborg Rennert Professor of Jewish Studies at Barnard College in Manhatten.
The lectures continue a series that began last fall at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas. The first five lectures, dealing with the history and theology of Paul the saint, were held in connection with the Year of St. Paul, proclaimed in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
The lectures, all free and open to the public, are:
- "Paul the Convert," 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in the main church of the Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave., St. Paul.
- "Life After Death in Judaism," 2 p.m. Thursday, April 30, Bigelow Chapel, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, 3000 Fifth St. N.W., New Brighton.
- "Rethinking the Apostle Paul," 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, Bigelow Chapel, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, 3000 Fifth St. N.W., New Brighton.
- "A Jewish Response to Paul," 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library, St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, located on the western end of Summit Avenue in St. Paul. (Pizza will be served at this talk; those planning to attend are asked to R.S.V.P. by calling (651) 962-5786.)
The Ireland library is right next door to the seminary courtyard which last fall welcomed a new statue of St. Paul.
Joining Segal at the program Thursday evening, April 30, at United Theological Seminary will be Calvin Roetzel, who holds the Sundet Chair in New Testament and Christian Studies at the University of Minnesota, and Neil Elliott, an editor at Fortress Press and adjunct professor at United Theological Seminary.
Roetzel and Elliot each have published several books and articles on Paul. Segal's books include Paul the Convert: The Apostasy and Apostolate of Saul of Tarsus and Rebecca's Children: Judaism and Christianity in the Roman World.
His most recent, Life After Death: The Afterlife in Western Religions, was a selection of the History Book Club, the Book of the Month Club, the Behavioral Science Book Club and was featured on "Talk of the Nation."
The lectures are co-sponsored by the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning, Cathedral of St. Paul, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
More information about the lectures is available at https://www.stthomas.edu/jpc/calendar/default.html#homepageEvent.
