Violence: last in Biblefresh series

30 November 2011

A stimulating evening on 9 November on the Bible and Violence brought to an end the series 'Can we trust the Bible in the 21st century?', organized by Trinity College and Bristol Baptist College.

The main speakers, both Old Testament tutors at Trinity College, were Professor Gordon Wenham who looked at the first five books of the Bible, and Revd Dr Knut Heim (above, right) who concentrated on the Psalms. The evening ended with questions to a panel consisting of the two speakers with Dr John Bimson (Tutor in Old Testament at Trinity), Dr Jonathan Burnside (Reader in Biblical Law at the School of Law, University of Bristol), and Dr Helen Paynter (a postgraduate student at Bristol Baptist College). The evening was chaired by a former Trinity student, Vicky Wright, now Community Minister at St Matthew's Church, Bristol. As always, the time was too short to to justice to this complex topic, but at least it sent us away thinking.

The other topics covered in the series earlier in the year were The Bible and Science, The Bible and Jesus, and The Bible and Sex. The series was prompted by Biblefresh, part of the Evangelical Alliance initiative to celebrate 400 years lf the Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible.

We are grateful to Christ Church Clifton for letting us use their premises, and to Revd Rod Symmons (above, left), Vicar of Redland Church, Bristol and a former tutor at Trinity, who was the main organizer.