John W. Walton: What in the World are We Supposed to do with the Old Testament?

You’re invited to Regent’s 2023 Evening Public Lecture series! Join us in the chapel or tune in online to explore theology, culture, and much more with this year’s summer faculty.

To watch this and other Evening Public Lectures online, visit rgnt.net/live.

ABOUT THE LECTURE

When Christians talk about the Old Testament today, we often hear descriptions like “confusing” or “controversial” used in dismissive ways. Readers fret about divine violence and scoff at outmoded values that God presumably affirmed in Israel’s laws. Why, according to this line of thinking, should we give any value to a text that implicitly allows slavery and is too often tainted by misogyny? In this Evening Public Lecture, Old Testament scholar John Walton will argue that these tendencies stand as evidence that the church has no clear sense of what to do with the Old Testament. How can we appropriate it as God’s Word? Do its laws and narratives establish a moral system for society? Do they provide ethical role models? Is there an alternative to approaching the Old Testament in search of inspirational thoughts or prooftexts we can use to tout the “biblical view” of a cause we want to promote? Join Dr. Walton as he points us toward the basic methodological question Christians need to tackle: what are we supposed to do with the Old Testament to reflect the wisdom of faithful readers?

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and Graduate School, where he has taught for over twenty years. Dr. Walton has published nearly 30 books, among them commentaries, reference works, text books, scholarly monographs, and popular academic works. He was the Old Testament general editor for the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (NIV, NKJV, NRSV), and is perhaps most widely known for the “Lost World” books (including The Lost World of Genesis One, The Lost World of Adam and Eve, and The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest). His areas of expertise include the importance of the ancient Near East for interpreting the Old Testament as well as the dialogue between science and faith.

John Walton is teaching The Book of Joshua from July 10 to 14 as part of Regent’s 2023 Summer Programs.

HOW TO ATTEND

Join us in Regent’s chapel, or tune in via livestream. A video recording will be available online for a limited time after the event.