Dear friends in Christ,
Spring Theology Lecture – Wednesday, March 8.On March 8 at 6:30 p.m., the Rev. Fleming Rutledge delivers this season’s lecture, titled Condemned into Redemption: Understanding the Crucifixion. The lecture is based on her recent book The Crucifixion, which was selected as Best Book of the Year by Christianity Today and has received endorsements from a number of prominent theologians, pastors, and church leaders. (It is a diverse group, too; one review reads, “This book is endorsed by people you rarely find endorsing the same book.”) The event is free and open to the public.
Why did Jesus die? More specifically, why was Jesus crucified? The cross, as a symbol, has become so commonplace that few stop to ask why the man who came to be worshiped as the living Son of God should have been tortured to death in the most public, cruel, and dehumanizing way possible. The Bible doesn’t present any single “explanation” for the cross. Instead, there is overlapping, multilayered imagery drawing from the bottomless wells of the Old Testament story and apocalyptic literature. In this lecture, Fleming Rutledge shares the riches of these biblical themes in order to dig more deeply into the apostle Paul’s declaration that “the word of the cross is the power of God.”
Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
The (Very) End: Come, Lord Jesus. After eighteen sessions of theological close reading, the Sunday class concludes its study of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine on March 5, at 10 a.m. In the last chapter of the book, John’s series of visions are finished. The voice of Jesus comes through clearly, however, assuring listeners that the one who comes to save is God himself: “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” All are welcome and previous attendance is not required.
Christ and Tragedy.This two-class series begins on Sunday, March 12, at 10 a.m., and looks at the recent book The Tragic Imagination by Rowan Williams. Williams’ book provides an opportunity to ask important questions, both theological and practical: can a Christian discourse be tragic? What does dramatic tragedy do, and what can it teach us? How do we think of Christ in light of tragic experiences? No prior reading is expected.
Rowan Williams in Holy Week: We are pleased to welcome to Saint Thomas the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, current head of Magdalene College, Cambridge, and former Archbishop of Canterbury. Williams is giving a series of addresses at the parish during Holy Week (April 9 – 14) with the theme, “Transforming Power: The Cross of Christ and the Kingdoms of the World.” More details are forthcoming.
The Rector’s Christian Doctrine Class: An introduction to the seven Sacraments of the Church: Baptism – being “clothed with Christ.” This class continues on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. in Andrew Hall. Primarily intended for those who wish to be confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church, it is also open to any who are interested in the topic of the day.
10 Reasons You Should Read Fleming Rutledge’s The Crucifixion. Among the many reviews of the book, a recent one from the Gospel Coalition (UK) stands out. It is the source of the quote in this email’s first paragraph (“This book is endorsed by people you rarely find endorsing the same book”) and summarizes what many have found appealing about The Crucifixion: its beauty, the fact that it is profoundly Biblical and Trinitarian, its acknowledgment of suffering in the world, and more. Check out the review and then join us on March 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Yours in Christ,
Joel
