Event 11 May 2023

TUA Webinar: Grappling with Divine Vengeance

13 June 2023 - 13 June 2023

Violence and religion are often seen as sisters in arms, also because of sources like the Bible speak about war, violence and vengeance. But are these texts understood well enough? This webinar on June 13, 2023, given by Arjan van den Os of the Theological University of Apeldoorn, will discuss how to understand Divine Vengeance in the New Testament. A topic of academic and social relevance.

Abstract

The webinar will focus on one of the sensitive topics in Biblical theology: divine violence, specifically: divine vengeance. Several ‘solutions’ have been offered in theology to treat this ‘embarrassing’ topic. Before one does major interventions in the Bible, one has to be sure that one has a good understanding of the notion of divine vengeance. This webinar enables to fathom the meaning and function of divine vengeance in the New Testament, against its background of Greco-Roman culture, the Old Testament, and Early Judaism. Participants will also see how vengeance is understood nowadays and which hermeneutical tensions this understanding creates with the notion of divine vengeance in the New Testament. This webinar will provide exegetical and theological insights into the notion of divine vengeance in the New Testament, so that participants are equipped to grapple with this sensitive topic.

For Whom?

New Testament researchers, PhD-students searching for or focusing on a New Testament or theological subject, researchers interested in the topic of violence in the Bible, researchers interested in theological interpretation of the New Testament, researchers interested in connecting Biblical, hermeneutical, and theological perspectives.

Goals

The attendee will be:

  • provided with exegetical and theological insights into the notion of divine vengeance in Greco-Roman culture, the Old Testament, Early Judaism, and the New Testament.
  • enabled to sense the hermeneutical tensions between vengeance in antiquity and the understanding of vengeance nowadays.
  • given a look into a Dutch exegetical-theological approach to Biblical Studies from a Reformed perspective.
  • provided with insights into divine vengeance in the Bible to evaluate earlier ‘solutions’ to the problem of divine violence in the Bible.

Registration

You can register by sending an email to Arjan van den Os before Friday June 9th 2023. The webinar will be done via Microsoft Teams. You will receive the link after registration.

Date and Time

June 13, 2023, 16:00-17:15 h CEST.

Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Placing Research Within Research Tradition of TU Apeldoorn and Research Group BEST (Biblical Exegesis and Systematic Theology) of TU Apeldoorn and TU Kampen|Utrecht and its research program Discriminating Love.
  3. Starting Questions, Exploring the Field
  4. Vengeance in Greco-Roman Sources
  5. Vengeance in the Old Testament and Early Judaism
  6. Vengeance in the New Testament
    1. Luke-Acts
    2. Paul
    3. Hebrews
    4. Revelation
  7. Conclusion
  8. Q&A

About Arjan van den Os

Arjan van den Os is assistant professor at the Theological University of Apeldoorn.

Contact

Arjan van den Os, email