Forensic Scriptures Lecture Series
The Danforth Jewish Circle will be sponsoring one of six lectures examining the scriptural roots of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions.
Led by author and retired United Church Minister, Brian Brown, the sessions explore common themes from the three faiths, how these have been interpreted to date, and alternative explanations.
The series begins this Sunday, January 10 (see times/complete listing of dates below) hosted by Beth Tzedek Congregation at their Synagogue at 1700 Bathurst Street.
The Danforth Jewish Circle is hosting the following session, January 17th, which will be held at Emmanuel College on the University of Toronto campus (75 Queens Park Crescent, opposite the McLaughlin Planetarium).
Dr. Brown will lead off with remarks and then we will do text study in small groups.
For additional description, see below.
For more information, call Alex Lowy, 416.919.5144.
Copies of Dr. Brown's book are available for $20 from Kathy Miller, please e-mail: info@djctoronto.com
Or, check out Brian Brown's website @ http://www.BrianArthurBrown.com/
Forensic Scriptures Study and “Lab Work” with Friends and Colleagues from Three Traditions
(Presentations by Brian Arthur Brown in co-operation with congregational and academic leaders.)
Forensic Scriptures is a text on the Hebrew, Christian and Muslim scriptures intended for use in seminaries, colleges and congregational book clubs in synagogues, churches and masjids. Successful launch events in New York and Toronto featured enthusiastic endorsements by leading authorities in all three traditions followed by panel discussions of its merits. Among the Jewish spokespersons discussing this work were U of T Professors of Hebrew Literature Harry Fox and Tirzah Meacham, in dialogue with Muslim scholars Nevin Reda and Timothy Gianotti with Hamid Slimi, President of the Canadian Council of Imams, Christian feminist Joanna Manning, United Church author and scholar David Bruce and the principal of Emmanuel College, Mark Toulouse.
Some sixty lay people attended this one day launch at the University of Toronto on Oct.31 and as the program unfolded there was enthusiasm for a series of events on Sunday afternoons in the new year, 2010, hosted by Beth Tzedec Synagogue, Bloor St. United Church and Noor Cultural Centre, each followed up by “lab work” at Emmanuel College on the U of T campus on the following Sunday. The level of study and discussion might be described as from high school to undergraduate university, presuming at least minimal knowledge of one’s own scriptural tradition and an openness to the sacred texts of others.
| January 10 | 2-4 pm Beth Tzedec Synagogue: | The Torah in Recent Analysis |
| January 17 | 2-4 pm Emmanuel College: | Forensic Exercises in Torah Analysis |
| January 24 | 2-4 pm Bloor St. United Church: | New Testament in Recent Analysis |
| January 31 | 2-4 pm Emmanuel College: | Forensic Exercises in Gospel Analysis |
| February 7 | 2-4 pm Noor Cultural Centre: | The Qur’an in Recent Analysis |
| February 14 | 2-4 pm Emmanuel College: | Forensic Exercises in Qur’an Analysis |
These programs are part lecture, part group discussion and part “hands-on” forensic investigation of the texts of the Jewish Torah, the Christian Gospel and Muslim Qur’an in which participants from the three traditions will work together in the spirit of Hans Kung’s comment that “The nations will not find peace until the religions make peace.” You may invite other members of your faith community to register with you at the door at the time of any of these sessions, beginning at Beth Tzedec Synagogue, 1700 Bathurst St., on Sunday, January 10 at 2:00 pm.
The book, Forensic Scriptures: Critical Analysis of Scripture and What the Qur’an Reveals About the Bible is available in paperback at a group price of $20 per copy.
