CALL FOR PAPERS: Theological Symposium (Sept. 20-21, 2022)

The Theological Symposium committee invites proposals for open sectionals during the 32nd Annual Theological Symposium, September 20-21, 2022, at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

The current title and description of the 2022 theme:

Search the Scriptures: Finding Christ and Ourselves in the History of Exegesis

“You search the Scriptures … it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Through the centuries, the church has read and interpreted the Bible with the confidence that these very Scriptures are both about Jesus Christ and written for us. Figurative and mystical meanings, allegories and typologies, the three-fold spiritual sense—these were the common reading practices for most of the church’s history. During the last 250 years, biblical scholarship has avoided these practices in favor of methods tied more closely to the Bible’s language and history, thoroughly reshaping and enhancing the church’s understanding of the biblical texts. Yet, how has this affected the meaning and relevance of our interpretations? What insights have we gained and what have we lost? What is the goal of exegesis and how does it relate to preaching, teaching, and the church’s contemporary encounter with Christ and the Word of God?

In this symposium we will place these methods and approaches side by side—ancient and modern—and grapple with the Bible’s meaning and relevance, looking at different kinds of passages and listening to different kinds of interpretations. By doing so, we hope to deepen our love for the Scriptures, inspire biblical preaching, and hear anew the Word of God which, in the end, interprets us.

Submissions may be on this topic or a topic of the author’s interest. Please submit your presentation title, description, short bio and headshot to Erika Bennett, Director of Continuing Education, at [email protected] by June 3rd. Sectional presentations should be no longer than 45 minutes, and they will be prerecorded. Your recording will be due to her by July 29, and they will be housed on our virtual event space since the symposium will be available both in-person and online.