GENERAL OVERVIEW
“God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” Ecclesiastes 7:30
The Christian tradition has historically maintained that Adam and Eve, our first human ancestors, were created in a state of innocence and righteousness that was lost through an act of disobedience. These affirmations played orienting and supporting roles for a significant number of related doctrinal judgments, such as the primordial goodness of the created order, the corruption of human nature, and the necessity of God’s gracious initiative in salvation. In different ways, Marcionism, Manichaeism, and Pelagianism rejected some aspect of the above affirmations.
Recent advancements in the fields of genetics and paleoanthropology have called these traditional affirmations into question. In light of these developments some theologians have argued for dehistoricizing both Adam and the fall. Others suggest reconciling strategies that seek to preserve historical referentiality for the persons and events depicted in Genesis 1-3 while maintaining basic congruence with the current scientific consensus. Still others have rejected the scientific consensus outright.
This conference aims to clarify the theological stakes of the debate in a manner faithful to scripture and in earnest dialogue with modern scientific research. What are the exegetical, philosophical, and theological consequences of the various models of Adam and the fall? How might the judgments and debates of the early church surrounding the doctrine of creation offer guidance to the current discussion? What does Scripture, properly interpreted, require that we believe about Adam and the fall?
PRESENTERS
Douglas J. Moo
Wheaton College
Paul M. Blowers
Emmanuel Christian Seminary
Bill T. Arnold
Asbury Theological Seminary
Mickey L. Mattox
Marquette University
Sean M. McDonough
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Fred Sanders
Biola University
Conference Schedule
The conference begins at 9:00am on Friday morning, March 22, and ends at 5:00pm on Saturday afternoon. Lunch and dinner on Friday, as well breakfast and lunch on Saturday will be provided.
FRIDAY
8:00–9:00am Conference Check-in
Friday Morning Session (9:00-11:30am)
9:00–10:00am Bill T. Arnold, “Adam in Canonical Perspective: the Old Testament”
10:30–11:30am Douglas J. Moo, “‘The Type of the one to come’: Adam in Canonical Perspective: the New Testament”
Lunch (11:30 am)
Friday Afternoon Session (1:00-5:00pm)
1:00–2:00pm Edward B. Davis, “Historical Roots of the American Evangelical Encounter with Natural History”
2:30–3:30pm Fred Sanders, “Systematic Adamology in Trinitarian Perspective”
4:00–5:00pm Response by a Raymond Lewis and Panel Discussion
Dinner (5:30 pm)
SATURDAY
7:30–9:00am Continental Breakfast
Saturday Morning Session (9:00-11:30am)
9:00–10:00am C. John Collins, “The Place of the ‘Fall’ in the Overall Vision of the Hebrew Bible”
10:30–11:30am Sean McDonough, “Among the Fallen: The Estrangement of Humanity from God in the New Testament”
Lunch (11:30 am)
Saturday Afternoon Session (1:00-5:00)
1:00–2:00pm Mickey L. Mattox, “Goodness that Abides? Martin Luther’s Adam, for Today”
2:30–3:30pm Paul M. Blowers, “Three Dimensions of Patristic Interpretation of the Adamic Fall: Prophecy, Apocalypse, and Tragedy”
4:00–5:00pm Response by Jitse van der Meer and Panel Discussion
TRAVEL
The conference will begin at 8:00am on Friday, March 22nd, and conclude at 5:00pm on Saturday, March 23rd.
Conference participants will receive a discounted rate at LaQuinta Inn and Suites, located adjacent to the TEDS campus. Below is further information about lodging and travel.
Venue
The Conference will take place in the Waybright Conference Center, on the campus of Trinity International University (Deerfield, Illinois), from February 2-3, 2018.
Lodging
There are many hotels in the Deerfield / Bannockburn / Lincolnshire area, and here are a few of our favorites. Please book as early as possible, and make sure to ask if they offer a Trinity rate when you call to make your reservation.
LaQuinta Inn & Suites
2000 S. Lakeside Drive
Bannockburn, IL 60015
0.2 miles/37 seconds from campus (within walking distance)
Reservations: 847.317.7300
Homewood Suites
10 Westminster Way
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
0.8 miles/4 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.945.9300
Marriott Suites Deerfield
2 Parkway North
Deerfield, IL 60015
3.8 miles/8 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.405.9666
Hampton Inn & Suites Lincolnshire
1400 Milwaukee Avenue
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
4.1 miles/8 minutes from campus
Reservations: 847.478.1400
Driving Information
The event will be located in Waybright Conference Center at Trinity International University. Trinity’s address is located at 2065 Half Day Road in Deerfield, IL.
Quick Facts
- Registration Required
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- March 22–23, 2019
CONTACT US
If you have any questions or feedback about the conference, or would simply like to talk with someone in person, please do not hesitate to contact us.
847-317-8066
If your inquiry is specifically related to conference logistics, please email Joel Chopp at [email protected]
Conference Evaluation
Quick Facts
- Registration Required
- Meals Included
- Located on TEDS’s Campus
- March 22–23, 2019
This event is made possible through the support of a grant from Templeton Religion Trust. The opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton Religion Trust.
Featured Resource
Christoph Schwöbel
Nature, Contingency, and the Spirit: A Conversation with Wolfhart Pannenberg
Wolfhart Pannenberg was involved in the dialogue with the natural sciences from the beginning of his theological formation. His engagement with the sciences is characterized by the determination neither simply to incorporate scientific findings into a theological account of reality. . .