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Coping with Pluralism with Darrell Bock

In Fall 2023 Darrell Bock lectured at the Lanier Theological Library on the topic: “Coping with Pluralism.”  The link to that YouTube video is down below. 

In addition, there was a great panel discussion the day before between various scholars from around the United States.  Darrell sat down with David Capes, host of The Stone Chapel Podcasts, to offer a preview of his lecture.

Who is Darrell Bock?

Dr. Bock is a well-known scholar.  He currently serves as a Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

And as the Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at the Hendricks Center at DTS as well. 

He has authored, co-authored, or edited 30-40 books.  Most of these you can find signed at the Lanier Theological Library.  Look on the title page! 

Darrell has been married 48 years. He has three children and five grandchildren.  He co-hosts a podcast at Dallas Seminary called “The Table.”   See the link below. It’s a terrific podcast and resource.

To hear the podcast (about 20 minutes) click here.

The Problem of Pluralism

In America, Europe, and much of the west the culture and values have shifted radically in the last thirty years. 

In Darrell’s mind, Christians have gone from being the home team to becoming a visiting team that is unwelcome. 

Some have described it as a culture war and have begun fighting as if we are in battle to crush the other.  That may be popular, but it is not the way of Jesus. 

Instead of regarding these folks as an enemy to be crushed, we should begin to think of them a person to be gained. 

This may be one of the most important podcasts you listen to all year. 

Dr. Bock talks about a number of biblical teachings which should lead us to have a better tone and disposition toward those we want to persuade.

Additional Resources

To see the video of Darrell Bock’s lecture click here.

To see the video of the panel discussion, here’s the link.

Darrell has a number of books touching on this and related topics.  

Among them: Cultural Intelligence: Living for God in a Diverse, Pluralistic World (B&H Academic, 2020)

You can read a transcript of this podcast here.

The Table Podcast is here. 

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here.

To hear the podcast (about 20 minutes) click here.

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How the Synoptic Gospels Work with Darrell Bock

While the Gospel of John tells us, the readers, straight up what we’re meant to believe about Jesus, the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) tend to communicate these things indirectly. Dr. Darrell Bock isolates a few good illustrations of this method. Prof. Bock is Executive Director of Cultural Engagement and Senior Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. His many publications include Luke (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) and Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods. He also hosts the seminary’s Table Podcasts. We have heard from him before in the Exegetically Speaking podcast series.

To hear the podcast (8 min) click here.

Learn about related programs at Wheaton

BA in Classical Languages >

MA in Biblical Exegesis >

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Adam the Man, Not the Place with Danny Carroll Rodas

A listener to this podcast has asked whether “Adam” in Hosea 6:7 is a name of a place or an allusion to the man of Genesis 1-2. Translations and commentators differ. Dr. Danny Carroll Rodas helps us understand how each view is supported. Prof. Carroll is the Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy at Wheaton College. Among his many publications are The Lord Roars: Recovering the Prophetic Voice for Today and “Hosea” in Hosea, Amos, Micah (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary). He has contributed several episodes to this podcast series.

Check out related programs at Wheaton College:

Biblical Exegesis MA: https://bit.ly/3FD62kp

Classical Languages (Greek, Hebrew, Latin) BA: https://bit.ly/45XCsk9

To hear the podcast (7 min) click here.

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The Jesus Revolution in Nashville

David Capes and Travis Mulder from the Lanier Theological Library recently traveled to Nashville to sit in on a filming session of Don Finto by filmmaker, Terry Benedict, and Gary Glover. 

This filming is part of a project sponsored by friends of Don Finto to commit their former pastor’s life and sermons to film and digital audio. 

During lunch, Terry and Gary sat down with David to talk about the Don Finto Project on The Stone Chapel Podcast.

To hear the podcast click here.

Who are Terry Benedict and Gary Glover? 

Terry is a filmmaker from Los Angeles.  He’s known best for the documentary The Conscientious Objector. This documentary became the basis of the Academy Award winning film Hacksaw Ridge. 

Gary Glover and his wife have been magazine publishers in Nashville for many years.  He has an online company called SongWriting University (www.songwritingu.com). This company allows anyone in the world to be teamed up online with a Nashville songwriter to write a song.

Gary grew up in Nashville and attended Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University).  This is where he came under the teaching of Don Finto. 

So extraordinary were Finto’s accomplishments that nearly 50 years later, other students of Don have teamed up to commit his life, ideas, and sermons to an archive of resources.

The Jesus Revolution & Don Finto? 

Don Finto was and continues to be one of the most influential pastors of his day.  His church, Belmont Church, is located on Music Row in Nashville. 

In the 1970s, 80s, and 90s he and his congregation experienced the Jesus Revolution in Nashville. This was the same time when pastor Chuck Smith and Calvary Chapel experienced this spiritual phenomenon in Southern California.

It’s not too much to say that much of the contemporary Christian movement was birthed at Belmont Church under the leadership of Don Finto. Artists such as Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith launched their careers there in the heart of Music City. 

Finto’s influence did not stop in America.  He treks all around the world with the gospel message and the heart filled with grace. Even in his 90s, Finto tells people half his age to “finish well.” 

What is the Finto Project? 

The Don Finto Project begins with recording in high definition the ideas and stories of Don Finto “in his own words.”

Students and friends of Finto including Mark Lanier and Gov. Bill Lee (Tennessee) are sharing their insights. In the next phase, Terry Benedict will produce a 90-100 minute documentary on Finto’s life. 

In addition, Don’s sermons and writings are being collected to create an archive about Don’s legacy.  These will be include in an online digital archive available for generations to come.   

You can read a transcript of this podcast here.

For more resources check out these links.

To hear Don Finto’s lecture at the Lanier Library click here.

For a copy of Don Finto’s book, A Handbook for the End Times, click here.

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here.

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Jesus among the Gods with Mike Bird

To hear the podcast click here.

David Capes and Michael Bird have been friends for many years.  And they share some common academic interests.  Recently, Mike released an important new book.  He joined David Capes from his home in Australia to talk about it on the Stone Chapel Podcasts.

Who is Michael Bird? 

Michael (Mike) Bird is a New Testament scholar, an Anglican priest, and he is Deputy Principal at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. 

He loves the Bible and takes delight in calling himself a Bible nerd.  Mike has a wonderful sense of humor, and he knows more about American politics than most Americans. 

He loves tennis, and he hates coffee.  Mike is the author of lots of books.  You can find many of them at the Lanier Theological Library.

Jesus among the Gods

Jesus among the Gods: Early Christology in the Greco-Roman World (Baylor University Press, 2022) is one of Michael’s newest books. 

He dedicated it to David for the years of friendship and his contributions to Christology. 

In the book Mike looks at the question: what does it mean to call Jesus “God” or “god”?  That may seem self-evident 2000 later, but the question is more complex. 

Bart Ehrman’s work encouraged Mike to look into this question. What he found is a spectrum of divinity from unbegotten and absolute gods. To begotten gods, who were often people elevated to some divine status or deity, like Caesar or Heracles. 

So did this way of thinking influence early Christians as they were struggling to express the significance of Jesus?

More topics in the discussion

The conversation weaves through a number of topics including whether monotheism is a term that is useful or should it be retired.

And the depth of Hellenistic culture in the Bible, and the unlikely prospects that Judaism and Hellenism are petitioned off and did not influence one another. 

The book is fascinating and a must read for anyone interested in understanding the earliest Jesus communities. 

Jesus among the God endorsed by Capes

David Capes endorsed the book before he knew Michael was going to dedicate it to him:

With his characteristic good humor and judicious attention to detail, Michael Bird pushes the conversation regarding early Christologies in new and constructive directions. 

Having an ear attuned to both Jewish and Greco-Roman voices, Bird offers a straightforward taxonomy of what constituted ‘divinity’ in the ancient world and makes a serious case that elements of early Christologies are inherently ontological.

David B. Capes, Director, Lanier Theological Library

Additional Resources

You can watch Michael Bird’s lecture, An Invasive Story: Paul’s Theology Between Messianic Event and Salvation History at the Lanier Theological Library in 2016 by clicking here.

To learn more about Michael Bird click here.

For a transcript of this podcast, click here.

More resources

Want more Stone Chapel Podcasts on some great topics? Just click here.

What’s more, you can get information on upcoming lectures at Lanier Theological Library by clicking here.

To hear the podcast click here.