Baylor Society of Early Christianity Will Host Lecture by St. Louis University's Peter W. Martens

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WACO, Texas (Oct. 10, 2013) - As part of the Baylor University Honors College Lecture Series, the Baylor Society of Early Christianity (BSEC) will host Peter W. Martens, Ph.D., assistant professor of early Christianity at St. Louis University's College of Arts and Sciences, as he gives his lecture, "Why We Should Study the Reception History of the Bible, or: What (the Notorious) Origen Teaches Us," on Tuesday, Oct. 15.
During his lecture, Martens will address the topic of his book "Origen and Scripture: The Contours of the Exegetical Life," which is part of his project to re-think scriptural interpretation in early Christianity.
"Martens is a well-known historian interpreter . . . and the lecture that we are having him present is about this third century Christian theologian," said Jesse Hoover, vice president and co-founder of BSEC. "The reason it's considered so important is (Origen) is one of the very few geniuses of the early Christian world. He brings his own spin on allegorical interpretation of scripture."
By attending, students can gain a deeper understanding of Christian history and interpretation. "It kind of opens up a new dimension of, 'Wow, there are actually people from 250 years after Christ who have been thinking about how to interpret scripture for quite some time,'" which could ultimately help students in their personal devotional time, Hoover said.
The Baylor Society of Early Christianity exists to invite undergraduate, graduate and seminary students to explore the rich history and thought of the early and medieval Christian world, Hoover said. "And what that means for us is we really want to expose Baylor students, especially undergraduate, to the purpose and the background of the Christian faith. There's a much larger story that can be told than what we often hear. Our mission is to bring that out."
The lecture will be held at 4 p.m. in the Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer School of Business, 1428 S. Fifth St. For more information, contact BSEC president Andrew Selby or vice president Jesse Hoover.
by Rachel Miller, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805
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