The Gospels of Matthew and Luke actually portray the birth of Jesus in quite divergent ways, emphasizing different themes that will resonate throughout their accounts of the messiah’s life, death, and resurrection. What the two infancy narratives have in common is an understanding that Jesus was born and lived his life entirely within the context of the world-conquering military and political power of the Roman Empire. Grasping that historical context really matters for those of us today who seek to understand the Gospels as we ourselves read from within a contemporary environment characterized by empire. Join biblical scholar Michael Barram and local pastors for a fascinating exploration of the Gospel birth narratives within their imperial contexts, and an engaging discussion about how those accounts can help shape and form our communities of faith for our own contextualized participation in God’s mission in the world today.
About the Presenters
Michael Barram, PhD is a professor in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California. In addition, he is a member of and regularly teaches at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley. As a biblical scholar, Barram’s work focuses on the formative function of biblical texts for moral and economic reasoning—and on the emerging subfield of biblical interpretation known as missional hermeneutics. He is the author of Mission and Moral Reflection in Paul (Lang, 2006); Missional Economics: Biblical Justice and Christian Formation (Eerdmans, 2018); co-editor of the recently-released anthology, Reparations and the Theological Disciplines: Prophetic Voices for Remembrance, Reckoning, and Repair (Lexington, 2023); and co-author of the forthcoming Liberating Scripture: An Invitation to Missional Hermeneutics (Cascade, 2024).
Pastor Kamal Hassan, Sojourner Truth Presbyterian Church, Rev.has more than 20 years of experience as a religious worker and more than 10 years as an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a powerfully gifted preacher and Christian educator whose message is rooted in the African American prophetic tradition. He is a community organizer who has toiled for decades in low-wealth communities of color for social justice. He is a sensitive and supportive counselor and visitor of those in need. He is a visionary leader who can see beyond the now to the “not yet.” He holds an AA degree in Radio Broadcasting from Los Angeles City College, a BA in History from Cal State University Los Angeles and a Master of Divinity degree from the San Francisco Theological Seminary.
Pastor Grace Kaori Suzuki began her ministry at Christ United Presbyterian Church, San Francisco in May, 2004. Having lived in both Japan and the U.S. when growing up, she is bilingual and bicultural. Pastor Grace-Kaori is a graduate of San Francisco Theological Seminary and also has a background in classical piano teaching and performance. She currently lives in San Francisco with her husband and two daughters.
Servant Brian K. Woodson, Sr. is the founding pastor of the Bay Area Christian Connection and a bestselling author. Servant BK, is a long time community organizer who in the past has served as the Director of Clergy Development for Faith in Action East Bay (FIAEB), an organizer for the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE) and the Director of the Emerging Leaders Program at the Leadership Institute at Allen Temple. Servant BK is currently organizing the “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls” coalition, which is an inclusive coalition that spans across race, gender, age, ethnicity and religion. Included as founding members of the coalition are: African American Churches, the Wellstone Club, the Latino Task Force, Asian Americans for a Progressive Alameda, the Green Party, Local Democratic Club, members of local unions, Oakland Rising Action and others.
Details
Registration General $20 / "Living Lightly" $10
Free parking is available.