Event to take place Monday, April 17 at 7pm. Event to be held at Tyrrell Hall on the TU campus.
Numerous Christians regard Jesus as rejecting a Judaism– influenced by legalistic elitist, Pharisees– that is incorrectly characterized as obsessed with ritual purity and as misogynistic, vengeful and xenophobic. Understanding Jesus in his Jewish context corrects false stereotypes, brings new meaning to his parables, politics and piety, and opens new paths for Jewish-Christian relations.
Amy Jill Levine is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University.
Levine is the first Jew to teach New Testament at Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute, to join the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the first winner of the Seelisberg Prize for Jewish-Christian Relations. Levine describes herself as an unorthodox member of an Orthodox synagogue and a Yankee Jewish feminist who works to counter biblical interpretations that exclude and oppress.
The University of Tulsa is thrilled to welcome Amy Jill Levine for what promises to be a fascinating evening. This event is a part of the Rita E. and William H. Bell Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in Anglican and Ecumenical Studies.
The William and Rita Bell Lecture is a yearly feature housed in the Kendall College of Arts and Sciences. Begun in the spring of 1991, the program consists of lectures with a distinguished visiting professor joining the university faculty every fourth semester. The lectures focus on a topic generally related to Anglican and Ecumenical concerns, and the faculty appointment is made in either the Departments of Philosophy and Religion, English and/or History.
The Rita and William H. Bell Professorship in Anglican and Ecumenical Studies was created in memory of the late William H. Bell, trustee emeritus of The University of Tulsa and individual trustee for the Chapman-McFarlin charitable trust complex. The professorship also honors his widow, Rita Bell, as well as the Anglican faith and personal commitment to ecumenism of J. A. Chapman and Leta M. Chapman. Approximately every fourth semester, a distinguished visiting professor is brought to campus to teach and to present a public lecture.