English-German Colloquium

Updates from Tübingen    
by Dennis Lindsay

English German Colloquium f. NT, 3. July 2025

English-German Colloquium

The English-German Colloquium in New Testament continues to be one of the most successful programs of the Institute for the Study of Christian Origins. Offered (since the 1960's) in partnership with Protestant Faculty of the University of Tübingen and Prof. Michael Tilly, the Colloquium provides a forum for theology students and scholars to present their research work for peer review and feedback. This past summer semester we had presentations by scholars from Romania, Benin, Russia, and other German universities, as well as here in Tübingen. The unquestionable highlight this summer was a book presentation by Prof. Hermann Lichtenberger and Dr. Daniel Schumann, who completed the edition of the volume: "Zwischen Engeln und Menschen" ("Between Angels and Humans: the Role of Enoch in Slavic Enoch", Mohr Siebeck, 2025), following the untimely death of the book's author Andreas Wagner. This presentation, along with a reception following the presentation, attracted our largest Colloquium attendance of the year!

Note:

This review of the volume on the Lords Prayer from our 2018 symposium has just appeared in the Review of Biblical Literature.  We thought you would be interested.
“..the volume offers a rich, multiperspectival exploration of one of the New Testament’s most popular texts. The three-part framework that situates the discussion of the Lord’s Prayer within early Judaism, the New Testament itself, and reception history in early Christian thought and Orthodox liturgy presents a comprehensive view of the prayer’s origins, development, and enduring significance.”
Click here for more information:

https://www.sblcentral.org/API/Reviews/1002340_73587.pdf

Theological English Class

NEWS FROM TÜBINGEN

by Dennis Lindsay

Theological English Course

In this past summer semester we had a very lively group of participants for the Readings in Theological English course that we offer here in our Institute seminar room. Student participants this semester came from Romania, Greece, South Korea, China, and Germany and from a variety of denominational traditions: Orthodox, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Evangelical. Together, we read and discussed texts from a wide variety of Christian authors, from ancient sources to modern writers, on topics such as Christology, the doctrine of the Church, and the Trinity. As a special highlight, Dennis and Karen Lindsay celebrated the 4th of July by hosting an end-of-semester party for the students in their home!

Prayer 14.07.2025

Psalm 5:

1   Give ear to my words, O LORD; 
          give heed to my sighing. 
2   Listen to the sound of my cry, 
          my King and my God, 
          for to you I pray. 
3   O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; 
          in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.

4   For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; 
          evil will not sojourn with you. 
5   The boastful will not stand before your eyes; 
          you hate all evildoers. 
6   You destroy those who speak lies; 
          the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.

7   But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, 
          will enter your house, 
     I will bow down toward your holy temple 
          in awe of you. 
8   Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness 
          because of my enemies; 
          make your way straight before me.

11  Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; 
          let them ever sing for joy. 
     Spread your protection over them, 
          so that those who love your name may exult in you. 
12  For you bless the righteous, O LORD; 
          you cover them with favor as with a shield.

Prayers:

Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who are suffering today from lack of food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Surround them with your compassion and with compassionate people who will minister to their needs.

Merciful God, we pray for your children throughout the world who find themselves innocent victims of war, violence, and injustice. Attend them with your protective presence. Send your angel to encamp around them and deliver them.

Merciful God, we pray for those in the world who are responsible for creating oppression and injustice that causes the suffering of others. Convict them in their hearts and lead them to true repentance, reconciliation, and restoration.

Merciful God, we pray for ourselves—both in our own suffering, and in our participation in systems that cause suffering for others. Forgive our sins and empower us by your Spirit to work for peace and justice today.

Vater Unser…

Prayer 07.07.2025

Gebet aus Westafrika

Herr, ich werfe meine Freude wie Vögel an den Himmel.
Die Nacht ist verflattert, und ich freue mich am Licht.

Deine Sonne hat den Tau weggebrannt
vom Gras und von unseren Herzen.
Was da aus uns kommt, was da um uns ist
an diesem Morgen, das ist Dank.

Herr, ich bin fröhlich heute am Morgen.
Die Vögel und Engel singen, und ich jubiliere auch.
Das All und unsere Herzen sind offen für deine Gnade.
Ich fühle meinen Körper und danke.
Die Sonne brennt meine Haut, ich danke.
Das Meer rollt gegen den Strand, ich danke.
Die Gischt klatscht gegen unser Haus, ich danke.

Herr, ich freue mich an der Schöpfung
und daß du dahinter bist und daneben
und davor und darüber und in uns.

Ich freue mich, Herr,
ich freue mich und freue mich.

Psalm 104

Lobe den HERRN, meine Seele!
HERR, mein Gott, du bist sehr herrlich; du bist schön und prächtig geschmückt.
Licht ist dein Kleid, das du anhast. Du breitest den Himmel aus wie einen Teppich;
du das Erdreich gegründet hast auf festen Boden,
dass es bleibt immer und ewiglich.
Du feuchtest die Berge von oben her,
 du machst das Land voll Früchte, die du schaffest.
Du lässest Gras wachsen für das Vieh und Saat zu Nutz den Menschen,
dass du Brot aus der Erde hervorbringst,
dass der Wein erfreue des Menschen Herz
und sein Antlitz schön werde vom Öl
und das Brot des Menschen Herz stärke.
Die Bäume des HERRN stehen voll Saft,
die Zedern des Libanon, die er gepflanzt hat.
HERR, wie sind deine Werke so groß und viel!
 Du hast sie alle weise geordnet, und die Erde ist voll deiner Güter.

Vater Unser

Prayer 30.06.2025

by Dennis Lindsay

Psalm 56

1   Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me; 
          all day long foes oppress me; 
2   my enemies trample on me all day long, 
          for many fight against me. 
     O Most High, 3 when I am afraid, 
          I put my trust in you. 
4   In God, whose word I praise, 
          in God I trust; I am not afraid; 
          what can flesh do to me?

5   All day long they seek to injure my cause; 
          all their thoughts are against me for evil. 
6   They stir up strife, they lurk, 
          they watch my steps. 
     As they hoped to have my life, 
7        so repay them for their crime; 
          in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8   You have kept count of my tossings; 
          put my tears in your bottle. 
          Are they not in your record? 
9   Then my enemies will retreat 
          in the day when I call. 
          This I know, that God is for me. 
10  In God, whose word I praise, 
          in the LORD, whose word I praise, 
11  in God I trust; I am not afraid. 
          What can a mere mortal do to me?

12  My vows to you I must perform, O God; 
          I will render thank offerings to you. 
13  For you have delivered my soul from death, 
          and my feet from falling, 
     so that I may walk before God 
          in the light of life

Vater Unser…