Landregan Lecture 2007
To focus on St. John's Bible Project
Michelle Bauman
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
On Saturday, Nov 3, the University of Dallas School of Ministry will host its ninth annual Landregan lecture. The lecture will feature Dr. Miguel Diaz, a theology professor at St John's University in Minnesota. Dr. Diaz, recommended for the lecture as a young and upcoming scholar, will give a talk entitled Seer of the Word: The Sacramental Imagination and the Human Vision of God.
"It's about theological imagination, how the human mind understands God," said Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the School of Ministry. He said the lecture will explore how limited human beings perceive an unlimited diving being. "It's about the creativity of the finite mind in its search to comprehend the infinite. It is about exploring how we, as Christians, imagine God."
The lecture will examine the Christian image of God by focusing specifically on the St. John's Bible Project. Begun seven years ago, the St. John's Bible is being handwritten at a Benedictine Abbey near St. John's University in Minnesota. Several unique pieces of art have been created specifically for this project, which blends the traditional with the contemporary. Diaz will incorporate this project into his lecture as an illustration of combining culture and theology to create an illuminated manuscript for the modern era.
Schmisek said he believes this year's Landregan lecture is particularly relevant for the UD community because of the University's strong Catholic identity and core curriculum. UD's commitment to the core texts gives its students a deeper understanding of tradition and a greater appreciation for the importance of translation, of preserving the meaning and content of a text in a new format.
When dealing with the Word of God, Schmisek emphasized, it is important to remember that we are working with copied manuscripts. "We don't have the originals of any of the books or letters of the Bible. Everything we have is a copy," he explained. "And now, St. John's Abbey is producing the first new handwritten Bible in 500 years. That's exciting!"
"It's about theological imagination, how the human mind understands God," said Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the School of Ministry. He said the lecture will explore how limited human beings perceive an unlimited diving being. "It's about the creativity of the finite mind in its search to comprehend the infinite. It is about exploring how we, as Christians, imagine God."
The lecture will examine the Christian image of God by focusing specifically on the St. John's Bible Project. Begun seven years ago, the St. John's Bible is being handwritten at a Benedictine Abbey near St. John's University in Minnesota. Several unique pieces of art have been created specifically for this project, which blends the traditional with the contemporary. Diaz will incorporate this project into his lecture as an illustration of combining culture and theology to create an illuminated manuscript for the modern era.
Schmisek said he believes this year's Landregan lecture is particularly relevant for the UD community because of the University's strong Catholic identity and core curriculum. UD's commitment to the core texts gives its students a deeper understanding of tradition and a greater appreciation for the importance of translation, of preserving the meaning and content of a text in a new format.
When dealing with the Word of God, Schmisek emphasized, it is important to remember that we are working with copied manuscripts. "We don't have the originals of any of the books or letters of the Bible. Everything we have is a copy," he explained. "And now, St. John's Abbey is producing the first new handwritten Bible in 500 years. That's exciting!"
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