| Top historical Jesus scholar to speak at USC, address controversial movie, ‘The Passion' |
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When John Dominic Crossan agreed last July to give three lectures April 1–2 as USC's 2004 Nadine Beacham and Charlton F. Hall Lecturer in New Testament and Early Christianity, he didn't plan on addressing Mel Gibson's controversial movie, "The Passion."
He changed his mind.
Crossan, who is considered among scholars to be the leading expert on the historical Jesus and early Christianity, decided that the public swell of interest in, and controversy surrounding, the movie provided the perfect context to talk about the historical Jesus.
A professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University, Crossan is a former co-chairman of the Jesus Seminar, a scholarly organization that has been a lightning rod for international debate about the "historical Jesus," or the real facts about the person to whom various Christian gospels refer.
In the last 30 years, Crossan has written 20 books on the historical Jesus, four of which have become national religious best-sellers: The Historical Jesus (1991), Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (1994), Who Killed Jesus? Exposing the Roots of Anti-Semitism in the Gospel Story of the Death of Jesus (1995) and The Birth of Christianity (1998). Crossan's most recent book, Excavating Jesus Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts, (2001), is co-authored with archaeologist Jonathan L. Reed.
Crossan also is a former chairman of the Historical Jesus Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, an international scholarly association for biblical study based in the United States.
As a result of his leadership in the field of historical Jesus research and his 1994 and 1995 books on Jesus, national media frequently have turned to Crossan for insights on Gibson's movie.
On the quest for the real Jesus, Crossan once wrote, "I never presume that we find the historical Jesus once and for all. I never separate the historical Jesus from the Christ of faith. Jesus Christ is the combination of a fact (Jesus) and an interpretation (Christ). They should neither be separated nor confused, and each must be found anew in every generation, for their structural dialectic is the heart of Christianity."
Crossan was born in Tipperary, Ireland, and educated in Ireland and the United States. He was a member of a 13th-century Roman Catholic religious order, the Servites, from 1950 - 60 and an ordained priest from 1957 - 69. He joined the faculty of Depaul University in 1969 and taught there until his retirement in 1995. The American Academy of Religion has honored him with an award for scholarly excellence, and his books have been translated into 10 languages.
USC's Hall Lectureship is held annually during Lent to make leaders in the field of New Testament research available to South Carolinians and clergy.
Past Hall lecturers have included Raymond E. Brown, Moody Smith, Leander E. Keck, Marcus Borg, Luke Timothy Johnson, Bart D. Ehrman, Charles. H. Talbert, and Jaroslav Pelikan.
While Crossan's lectures on April 1 and 2 target different audiences, they are all free and open to the public. Many of his books will be for sale at each location.
Early arrival for the lectures is encouraged because the events are expected to be well attended.
For more information on Crossan and USC's 2004 Nadine Beacham and Charlton F. Hall Sr. Lectureship in New Testament and Early Christianity, call Mardi McCabe,religious studies, at 7-4409 from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Thursday.
2/04
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 John Dominic Crossan
If you go. . .
USC Hall Lectureship Schedule
April 1, "The Life of the Historical Jesus," 3 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Although intended for clergy of all faiths, the public is invited to attend this free lecture.
April 1, "The Passion of the Historical Jesus," 8 p.m., USC Russell House ballroom. Free public lecture.
April 2, "The Resurrection of the Historical Jesus," 10 a.m., USC Russell House. Free public lecture.
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