• Thursday 26th March
• 10am to 4pm
• Sarum College, Salisbury
• When booking, choose the ‘Portsmouth CMD’ option

The Christian stereotype of the Pharisees as legalistic, self-righteous and hypocritical has entered our language and culture. It is a characterisation derived from the Synoptic Gospels. But recent scholarship has dismantled the stereotype, arguing instead that the Pharisees were a relatively small group who developed precise legal interpretations which allowed for human weakness. They developed forms of religious observance which challenged the status of priests and the temple, making them popular with common people. They were criticised by some of their contemporaries (including Jesus) for their leniency.

How do we absorb this new picture of the Pharisees into our teaching and preaching? The day will start with a presentation on recent scholarship. We will then look at the depiction of the Pharisees in the Gospels, and explore together how we might challenge some of the Gospel rhetoric. This will inevitably raise difficult questions about how to engage with Scripture.

Christian preachers, especially, will be given much food for thought. But all are welcome.

Speaker

Ann Conway-Jones is an Honorary Research Fellow at Birmingham University, specialising in biblical interpretation, early Jewish–Christian relations, and the development of Christian mysticism. She combines up-to-date scholarship with over twenty years’ experience of teaching adults.