Days of Theological Reflection to focus on digital age – May 5-6, 2015

Concordia Seminary, St. Louis will host two Days of Theological Reflection May 5-6, 2015, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Designed for pastors and students involved in homiletical and exegetical studies and practice, both days will focus on these topics in light of the changing culture of the digital age.

May 5 features Thomas Boomershine, who will speak about Hermeneutics and Interpretation in a Digital Age. Boomershine is professor emeritus of New Testament and Christianity and Communications at United Theological Seminary. He also is an author and the founder of the Network of Biblical Storytellers International, and has been a primary source for the development of performance criticism as a new paradigm for the study and interpretation of the Bible.

Matt Peeples, lead and founding pastor of The Point in Knoxville, Tennessee, will be the plenary speaker May 6 on the theme of homiletical reflection. The title of his presentation is Engage the Digital Age: Communicating the Unchanging Gospel in an Ever-Changing Culture. Peeples received his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 2009, and is the first graduate of the church plant training program of the Mid-South District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). He is passionate about connecting the disconnected, training the next generation of church planters, and preaching the Gospel.

May 6 also will feature two sectional speakers. Ben Haupt, director of library services at Concordia Seminary will speak about “Reading and Preaching the Scriptures in a Digital Age.” Justin Rossow, site leader at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will talk about “Fostering Hearing God’s Word Together, Online.”

“This year’s theme is very timely,” said David Schmitt, professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary. “Our speakers are familiar with how social media shapes communication and builds communities, and they have demonstrated effective communication of the gospel in their ministry within this digital age. It will be great to learn from their experience.”

The registration fee for each day is $25 and CEU credit is $10. Lunch can be purchased for $8. Registration is available online, with a mail-in form, or by contacting the Office of Continuing Education at 314-505-7286 or [email protected].