Duke Divinity School professor presents ‘The Old Testament is Dying’ lecture at George Fox University

NEWBERG, Ore. (March 8, 2023) – The Old Testament constitutes the majority of the Christian Bible and provides much of the language of Christian faith. However, many churches tend to neglect this crucial part of Scripture. What should be done about it?

In a special presentation hosted by George Fox University, Dr. Brent Strawn will address the very question in a lecture, “The Old Testament is Dying and What You Can (and Should) Do About It,” at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 16, in the university’s Canyon Commons dining hall. The public is invited, and there is no charge to attend.

Strawn is author of the book The Old Testament is Dying: A Diagnosis and Recommended Treatment, in which he details a number of ways the Old Testament is showing signs of decay, demise, and imminent death in the church. He criticizes current misunderstandings that contribute to its neglect and offers ways to revitalize its use in the church. His words are a reminder of the Old Testament’s important role in Christian faith and practice.

Strawn is professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School and holds a secondary appointment at the Duke University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina. His research focuses on ancient Near Eastern iconography, Israelite religion, biblical law, the Psalms, poetry, and Old Testament theology.

He is also a member of the Hebrew Bible track in the PhD program in religion, where he teaches and advises doctoral students in Duke’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Strawn previously taught at Asbury Theological Seminary for three years and at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University for 18 years.

Strawn has published more than 250 articles, chapters in books, contributions to reference works, and reviews. He is the author of What Is Stronger than a Lion? Leonine Image and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, The Old Testament: A Concise Introduction, Lies My Preacher Told Me: An Honest Look at the Old Testament, and Honest to God Preaching: Talking Sin, Suffering, and Violence. He has also edited or coedited more than 25 volumes, including The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Bible and Law.

Strawn is an ordained elder in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church and regularly speaks and preaches at churches across the country. He has also appeared on CNN on matters ranging from Easter celebrations to Pope Francis to gun violence, and has served as both translator and member of the editorial board for The Common English Bible.

George Fox University is classified by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best National University.” More than 4,100 students attend classes on the university’s campus in Newberg, Ore., and at teaching centers in Portland and Redmond, Oregon. George Fox offers 60 undergraduate academic programs, degree-completion programs for working adults, and 19 master’s and doctoral degrees.