Western culture often seems awash in vengeance. And many Christians lead the way. Numerous surveys in the United States indicate that the more people go to church, the more likely they are to support the death penalty and torture. Does it have to be this way? Since the addiction to vengeance seems in part to be theologically grounded, perhaps a fresh reading of the Bible will provide an antidote.

The key to reading the Bible as a resource for compassion and forgiveness rather than vengeance and retribution is looking at the large sweep of the Bible's salvation story. We will start with the calling of Abraham and Sarah and trace the story down through the prophets, the ministry of Jesus, his death and resurrection, and the apostolic witness to Jesus' saving message. Our thesis to test will be this: The Bible's salvation story follows a logic of mercy, not a logic of retribution. As such, it provides Christians today with bases for ministries of reconciliation as alternatives to vengeance.

Don’t miss this opportunity to join Ted Grimsrud, professor of Bible and Religion at Eastern Mennonite University, for a stimulating day of lectures and discussion.

Saturday 12 September, 9:30 am. – 4:00 pm. at the London Mennonite Centre
Suggested donation £30.00, or whatever you can afford
C-C Seminar 340

Ted Grimsrud teaches classes in theology, ethics and the Bible at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is author of several books, including God's Healing Strategy: An Introduction to the Bible's Main Themes, Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Power and Therapeutics in the Bible (with Loren Johns), Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice and the Domination System (editor, with Ray Gingerich), Embodying the Way Of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the 21st Century and the recent Reasoning Together: A Conversation on Homosexuality (with Mark Thiessen Nation).

Recommended Reading: Embodying the Way Of Jesus: Anabaptist Convictions for the 21st Century, God's Healing Strategy: An Introduction to the Bible's Main Themes.

Also, Ted is preparing a book with the tentative title Mercy Not Sacrifice: The Bible’s Salvation Story and Our Hope for Wholeness and draft chapters may be viewed at www.peacetheology.net/salvation