October 25, 2018
Presenter: Carol Dempsey, O.P., Respondent: Andrew R. Davis, Moderator: Thomas D. Stegman, S.J.
When considering the issue of scripture and justice, the Bible’s relevance is found in a dialectic approach, engaging with it as a product of the contexts it has emerged from, as well as the demands of our own context. This means both understanding how the biblical text and it’s concern for justice can inform contemporary issues of justice as well as the Bible’s contributions to the injustices we are facing today. Rather than a sterile abstraction, the biblical concept of justice demands concrete actions and systems. Scripture also models for us the need to engage with difficult questions, even pertaining to God’s justice.
Carol Dempsey, O.P., professor of theology, University of Portland
Andrew R. Davis, STM associate professor of Old Testament
Thomas D. Stegman, S.J., STM dean and professor of New Testament