Resources for Wheaton Theology Conference on N. T. Wright

This post is mostly designed for the 1100 people planning on attending the Wheaton Theology Conference this week.  

Update: The audio and video are now available for free here.  

I have given you a link to two great introductions to Wright, links to some cramming materials on Wright's work prepared just for the conference, my own introductions to all of the speakers, and finally, a meal schedule so you can schedule meals with folks.  See you there!  

Wright Introductions

New Testament scholar Michael Gorman has just posted a glowing introduction of N.T. Wright: Why are 1,100 People Going to a Conference about N.T. Wright?  Gorman is a very fine scholar himself and so his kind words mean something.  

See also Nijay Gupta's Why
the 1100? Mike Gorman, N.T. Wright and a crowd emerging…

Wright Cramming

Soon-to-be Seattle Pacific New Testament professor Nijay Gupta has also asked a few people to write summaries that will prepare people for the conference.  Here they are: 

1. N.T. Wright for Everyone: the apostle Paul by Nijay Gupta

Nijay K. Gupta completed his Ph.D. at the University of Durham on Pauline theology. While in Durham he served for a term as Bishop N.T. Wright’s teaching assistant for the course ‘The Bible in Tomorrow’s World’. Presently Dr. Gupta teaches Greek and hermeneutics at Ashland Theological Seminary (Ohio). In the fall (2010), he will begin teaching Biblical studies at Seattle Pacific University (Washington).

2. N.T. Wright for Everyone: Biblical Theology by Kyle Fever

Kyle Fever is a PhD candidate in New Testament/Early Christianity at Loyola University, Chicago. He is currently writing his dissertation on the law in Romans 2, trying to interpret Paul‟s statements in conversation with Diaspora Jewish literature. He is writing under the direction of Thomas Tobin (Paul’s Rhetoric in Its Contexts [Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004]). He serves part-time as an adjunct instructor at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, and was Visiting Lecturer in New Testament in 2008-09. He and his family live in Stillwater, MN.

3. N.T. Wright for Everyone: The Historical Jesus by Kevin Hanks

Wright vs. Piper

In evangelical circles in the United States, people often think about the opposition to N.T. Wright in conservative Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist circles.  John Piper is a Wheaton College graduate so you might also want to read Christianity Today's piece: "The Justification Debate: A Primer: Two of the world's most prominent pastor-theologians on justification—and what difference it makes."  by John Piper and N.T. Wright, compiled by Trevin Wax | posted 6/26/2009 09:54AM

Piper and Wright are scheduled to interact at the Evangelical Theological Society meeting in November.  I am not sure though that Piper will be back from his "leave of absence."

My Introductions to the Speakers

I would also really encourage people that all of the speakers are worth listening to at this conference.  I know the work of each of them and have heard all of them in person before as well.  Here are my comments about each.  Their formal bios are at the speakers page but here are my informal introductory comments about each of them.

Jeremy Begbie

Begbie is perhaps the leading theologian in the world who focuses on the way
the arts interact with theology.  He is a creative and engaging teacher who
often uses music when he teaches.  He teaches here at Duke Divinity School half
the year and half the year at Cambridge.  He is my friend David Taylor's advisor.  David has a
new edited volume out

For
the Beauty of the Church that was featured in Books & Culture this
month that has an essay from Begbie.  I expect Begbie to have the most fun lecture to listen to (except for Hays and Wright).  

Markus Bockmuehl

Bockmuehl is a serious New Testament scholar–perhaps the most rigorous of
any scholar on the program.  This Oxford
professor is revered and respected.  However, he has also done some of the very
best work at trying to connect the academic New Testament guild and theology with methodologically sound approaches.  I have benefited greatly from his edited
volumes: 

Scripture's
Doctrine and Theology's Bible: How the New Testament Shapes Christian
Dogmantics

and

Vision
for the Church: Studies in Early Christian Ecclesiology

His father was theologian and ethicist Klaus Bockmuehl who was a beloved
faculty member at Regent College until his death in 1989.   

Richard B. Hays

Of course I am biased because I came to Duke Divinity School to study with
Richard Hays, but I would say he is one of the most careful, creative and
interesting New Testament scholars in the world.  He is a beautiful writer, fine
speaker, and exacting scholar.  He is very interested in theology and the
church.  He has just agreed to be the interim Dean of
Duke Divinity School for the next two years while they search for a new one.
 (This is like the president or principal of a seminary).  He and Tom Wright are
close friends though they have also gone have gone toe to toe over some things.
 See more info about Hays at Richard
B. Hays Interview, Audio, Video, and Bibliography

Edith M. Humphrey

Sylvia Keesmaat

Brian Walsh

Marianne Meye Thompson

Humphrey, Keesmaat, and Thompson are among the most revered female
theologically-interested New Testament scholars in the world.  Morna Hooker from
Cambridge, Beverly Gaventa from Princeton, and Karen Jobes from Wheaton College
might also be on that list–sorry for any omissions–that is just off the top of my head.  In 2009, Humphrey joined the Eastern Orthodox
Church (but was part of the Salvation Army and then the Anglican Church before that) and has
taught at the PCUSA seminary Pittsburgh Seminary since 2002.  Keesmat is
well-known for her book Colossian Remixed which
was written with her husband Brian Walsh, who is the Christian Reformed campus
minister at the University of Toronto.  Brian has a blog: Empire Remixed.  Thompson has taught at
Fuller since 1995 and is the revered head of the New Testament department there.
 She went to Wheaton as an undergrad and did her Ph.D. at Duke. 

Nicholas Perrin

Perrin is an active younger Gospels scholar from Wheaton College who I have
heard at the Evangelical Theological Society.

Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Vanhoozer is probably the most respected American evangelical theologian.  He
gets read here at Duke and throughout the world.  He recently moved to Wheaton
College from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  He is a very creative and
interesting thinker.

A Meal Schedule for Getting Together With People

I also thought I would post my meal schedule so you too can schedule meals with people.  My hometown is Wheaton so I know a little bit about the restaurants.   

Friday, April 16 

11:20-12:45 PM Lunch (Anderson Commons or Egg
Harbor Cafe or Baja
Fresh Mexican Grill or packed lunch) ________________

2:35-3:15 PM Coffee Break (Refreshments in Coray) ________________

5:00-6:45 PM Dinner (Anderson Commons or Front
Street Cocina) ________________

8:30 PM ________________ (Tates
Old Fashioned Ice Cream?)

Saturday, April 17

11:25-12:45 PM Lunch (Anderson Commons or Alfie's
Inn or Qdoba
Mexican Grill‎ or packed lunch) ________________

2:35-3:15 PM Break (Starbucks
Coffee‎?) ________________

5:00-6:45 PM Dinner (Anderson Commons or Gino's
East Pizza‎) ________________

8:30 PM ________________ (Oberweis
Dairy Ice Cream Dairy?‎)