Methodist Theological School in Ohio hosts workshop on women's place in the New Testament

Widely held assumptions about women’s roles in New Testament times will be discussed and challenged during a workshop hosted by Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Lee Johnson, associate professor of New Testament in the Riley Chair of Biblical Interpretation at MTSO, will lead discussion on the topic “Women and Social Class in the World of the New Testament.”

Lee Johnson

The workshop, part of the school’s annual Williams Institute on Theology, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, March 16, in the Alford Centrum on the MTSO campus, 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware, Ohio.

Johnson expects the Williams Institute workshop to give participants a more complete view of women’s involvement in the cultural and religious life of biblical times.

“Most of the depictions of women’s roles in the New Testament era came from history as recorded by its most powerful, best educated people—and those, of course, were overwhelmingly male voices. But some archaeological discoveries show women in a much broader range of roles. We’ll consider that, and we’ll look at how biblical figures fit into this deeper understanding.”

This year’s Williams Institute workshop coincides with a major international, interdisciplinary academic conference: “Women in Ancient Religion.” Hosted by MTSO, the three-day conference is cosponsored by Yale Divinity School, the Ohio State University Center for the Study of Religion, and the Ohio State University Department of Greek and Latin. It will open at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 15, with a keynote address by Loveday Alexander, professor emeritus of biblical studies at the University of Sheffield, England. Williams Institute attendees are encouraged to attend the keynote address. More information on the conference is available at www.mtso.edu/collinsconference.

“The Williams Institute workshop is based on perspectives developed in the research of conference participants and other scholars,” said MTSO Academic Dean John Kampen. “It will place that research within a context that pastors and church workers can employ to enhance the understanding of the role of women in New Testament times in their congregations.”

The Williams Institute honors the late Ronald L. Williams, a member of the MTSO faculty who was beloved and respected by students for his theological contributions to religious scholarship. It provides an annual opportunity to share the academic accomplishments of scholars with the community beyond the campus.

Located in Greater Columbus on U.S. Route 23, Methodist Theological School in Ohio is an ecumenical graduate institution, preparing transformational leaders for service to the church and the world. MTSO offers master’s degrees in divinity, counseling ministries, theological studies and Christian education, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. The school’s president is the Rev. Jay Rundell. For more information, visit www.mtso.edu.