Special Programs
Pine Street has long had the tradition of bringing to our community a major figure in contemporary theology to challenge our way of thinking and to give us fresh vision for our faith and life. In the past we have had such notable speakers as Walter Brueggemann, Marcus Borg, Charles Kimball, and John Haught.
Amy-Jill Levine Jewish-Christian Lecture Series
Amy-Jill Levine, the foremost Jewish expert on the New Testament, will present a series of five lectures focusing on the relationship between Jews and Christians. Lectures will be presented Friday, April 26 through Sunday, April 28 at Beth-El Temple, Harrisburg and at three area Presbyterian churches. Admission to all lectures is free.
On Sunday, April 28 at 9:40 am, Amy-Jill Levine will lecture on “Jews, Christians, and the Meaning of the Bible” at Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 North Third Street, Harrisburg. The hour-long lecture will focus on why Jews and Christians, reading the same books, might take such different messages, and how we might learn from each other’s interpretations. For more information call the church office at 717.238.9304 or register by clicking here.
Amy-Jill Levine Lecture Series Outline
In a workshop especially for pastors, educators, and volunteer leaders, the widely sought-after speaker and best-selling author will open with “How to Avoid Anti-Jewish Preaching and Teaching” at 12 pm Friday, April 26 at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, 444 Silver Spring Road, Mechanicsburg. Levine will address what misunderstandings of Jesus’ Jewish context deform the Gospel, and how correct understandings reveal its power. Those attending may bring a bag lunch. Beverages will be provided. For more information, call the church office at 717.766.0204 or visit silverspring.org.
At 8pm Friday, April 26, Amy-Jill Levine will present “The Common Mistakes Jews and Christians Make about Each Other” at Beth El Temple, 2637 North Front Street at Wiconisco, Harrisburg. She will discuss the stereotypes Jews and Christians still have of each other, why they arise, and how correct information might lead to greater love of our neighbors.
The public is invited to religious services beginning at 6 pm. A dinner will be served at 7 pm; there will be no charge for the meal, but seating is limited and reservations are mandatory. Please call the Temple office at 717.232.0556 to RSVP. Reservations must be received by Monday, April 15.
Beth El Temple will also host the 12:45 pm lecture on Saturday, April 27, when Professor Levine will speak on “How to Hear a Parable: The Prodigal Son in His Jewish Context.” Levine says this New Testament story is often interpreted as a lesson in human repentance and divine forgiveness, yet the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) may have an even more challenging, and more profound, message.
The public is invited to Beth El Temple’s religious services beginning at 9:15 am April 27. At approximately 11 am, Dr. Levine will give a Torah study lesson as part of the service. Lunch is without charge at 12 pm to all who have made reservations by Monday, April 22. Call the Temple office at 717.232.0556 to reserve your place at lunch.
Programs on Friday evening and Saturday morning will be on Shabbat. In accord with Jewish tradition, there will be no writing, photography, cell phone usage, recordings or smoking in Beth El Temple. Also, food cannot be brought into the Temple.
Sunday, April 28 offers two more opportunities to hear Amy-Jill Levine. At 9:40 am, she will lecture on “Jews, Christians, and the Meaning of the Bible” at Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 North Third Street, Harrisburg. The hour-long lecture will focus on why Jews and Christians, reading the same books, might take such different messages, and how we might learn from each other’s interpretations. For more information call the church office at 717.238.9304 or visit pinestreet.org.
At 2 pm on April 28, the renowned scholar will close with “Jesus, Judaism, and Jewish-Christian Relations,” a lecture focusing on why the relationship of Jesus to Judaism still matters for both Jews and Christians today. This talk will be presented at Derry Presbyterian Church, 248 East Derry Road, Hershey. For more information, call the church office at 717-533-9667 or visit derrypres.org.
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine Biography
Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and College of Arts and Science in Nashville, TN; she is also Affiliated Professor, Centre for the Study of Jewish-Christian Relations, Cambridge, UK. She holds a B.A. from Smith College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. She received honorary doctorates from the University of Richmond, the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, the University of South Carolina Upstate, Drury University, and Christian Theological Seminary.
Her recent books include the “Jewish Annotated New Testament” edited with Marc Brettler (Oxford), “The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus” and “The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us,” co-authored with Douglas Knight (HarperOne). A self-described Yankee Jewish feminist, Professor Levine is a member of Congregation Sherith Israel, an Orthodox Synagogue, although she is often quite unorthodox.
