Ken Schenck
Encyclopedia
Ken Schenck is a New Testament
scholar whose primary focus has been the book of Hebrews
, although he has also published on Paul and Philo
. His New Testament Survey (Triangle Publishing) has sold nearly 10,000 copies, and his “brief guide” to Philo (Westminster John Knox) has been translated into both Russian and Korean. His blog also engages heavily with issues in hermeneutics, ecclesiology
, and philosophy
on both a popular and scholarly level. He currently serves as Dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University
and as Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry.
, holds an M.A. in Classical Languages and Literature from the University of Kentucky
, an M.Div from Asbury Theological Seminary
, and an A.B. from Southern Wesleyan University
. He is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church
since 1991 and a Professor of Bible at Indiana Wesleyan University
since 1997. He has also taught for the University of Notre Dame
and Asbury Theological Seminary
.
of the Jerusalem temple than a polemic against the Levitical cultus per se.
In hermeneutics, Schenck has argued consistently that the traditionally Protestant approach to Scripture
, which places the locus of the Bible’s authority solely on the historical meaning, deconstructs itself not only because it leads to an atomization of biblical meaning but also because the Bible itself—the putative authority—does not employ this method. The ironic result is a trajectory toward theological liberalism
and away from Christian orthodoxy
, as well as the fragmentation of Protestantism
. Schenck maintains that only a balance between the trajectory of the historical meaning and the Spirit-led consensus of Christendom can sustain both orthodox Christian faith and an understanding of the Bible as Christian Scripture.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
scholar whose primary focus has been the book of Hebrews
Epistle to the Hebrews
The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Its author is not known.The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his...
, although he has also published on Paul and Philo
Philo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
. His New Testament Survey (Triangle Publishing) has sold nearly 10,000 copies, and his “brief guide” to Philo (Westminster John Knox) has been translated into both Russian and Korean. His blog also engages heavily with issues in hermeneutics, ecclesiology
Ecclesiology
Today, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
, and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
on both a popular and scholarly level. He currently serves as Dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University
Wesley Seminary
Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University is an evangelical Christian theological seminary affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination that is also associated with Indiana Wesleyan University and located on its campus in Marion, Indiana.-History:...
and as Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry.
Education
Schenck was awarded a Ph.D. degree in 1996 from the University of Durham, England, where he studied under James D. G. DunnJames Dunn (theologian)
James D. G. Dunn was for many years the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at the University of Durham. Since his retirement he has been made Emeritus Lightfoot Professor. He is a leading British New Testament scholar, broadly in the Protestant tradition. Dunn is...
, holds an M.A. in Classical Languages and Literature from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, an M.Div from Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
, and an A.B. from Southern Wesleyan University
Southern Wesleyan University
Southern Wesleyan University is a four-year and graduate Christian college, with its main campus in the town of Central, South Carolina. The university was founded in 1906 by what is now the Wesleyan Church....
. He is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
since 1991 and a Professor of Bible at Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University
Indiana Wesleyan University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Marion, Indiana that is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church denomination...
since 1997. He has also taught for the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
.
Scholarship
His work on Hebrews was the first to engage the book extensively from the standpoint of its narrative substructure, and is part of a recent wave that sees the sermon more as a response to the destructionSiege of Jerusalem (70)
The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...
of the Jerusalem temple than a polemic against the Levitical cultus per se.
In hermeneutics, Schenck has argued consistently that the traditionally Protestant approach to Scripture
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
, which places the locus of the Bible’s authority solely on the historical meaning, deconstructs itself not only because it leads to an atomization of biblical meaning but also because the Bible itself—the putative authority—does not employ this method. The ironic result is a trajectory toward theological liberalism
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
and away from Christian orthodoxy
First seven Ecumenical Councils
In the history of Christianity, the first seven Ecumenical Councils, from the First Council of Nicaea to the Second Council of Nicaea , represent an attempt to reach an orthodox consensus and to establish a unified Christendom as the State church of the Roman Empire...
, as well as the fragmentation of Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. Schenck maintains that only a balance between the trajectory of the historical meaning and the Spirit-led consensus of Christendom can sustain both orthodox Christian faith and an understanding of the Bible as Christian Scripture.
Publications
- "God Has Spoken: Hebrews’s Theology of the Scriptures," The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology, Richard Bauckham, Daniel R. Driver, Trevor A. Hart, and Nathan MacDonald, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 321-36.
- "The Unity and Coherence of Scripture," in Treasure the Word, J. Coleson, ed. (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009), 63-75.
- Making Sense of God’s Word (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009).
- God’s Plan Fulfilled (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009).
- "2 Corinthians 4:13 and the pi/stij Xristou= Debate," CBQCatholic Biblical QuarterlyThe Catholic Biblical Quarterly is a refereed theological journal published by the Catholic Biblical Association of America....
(2008): 524-37. - A Brief Guide to Biblical Interpretation (Triangle, 2008).
- Review of Torrey Seland’s, Strangers in the Light: Philonic Perspectives on Christian Identity in 1 Peter (Leiden: Brill, 2005), published in SPhA 20 (2008): 230-33.
- Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews: The Setting of the Sacrifice (Cambridge University, 2007).
- "The Levitical Cultus and the Partitioning of the Ways in Hebrews," presented at the Jewish Christianity Group at SBL, Fall 2007.
- "The Spirit Directed Church," The Church That Jesus Builds (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007) 151-62.
- 1 and 2 Corinthians, Wesleyan Biblical Commentary Series (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006) (popular commentary for the church).
- "God Has Spoken: Hebrews’ Theology of Scripture," presented at the Hebrews and Theology Conference at St. Andrews, July 2006.
- "The Table of Inspiration – Interpreting the Bible," in Passion, Power, and Purpose: Essays on the Art of Contemporary Preaching (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 95-109.
- "The Tale of the Shipwreck," presented at the "Formation of Luke-Acts" Section at SBL, Fall 2006.
- "An Archaeology of Hebrews Tabernacle Metaphor, "delivered to the Hebrews Consultation of SBL, Fall, 2005.
- "Hebrews and Hermeneutics: The State of the Question," delivered to the Hebrews Consultation of SBL, Fall, 2005.
- Review of Daniel J. Harrington’s What Are They Saying about the Letter to the Hebrews? (New York: Paulist Press, 1989), published in BTB 36 (2006): 137-38.
- A Brief Guide to Philo (Westminster John Knox, 2005).
- "Superman: A Popular Culture Messiah," in The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture (New York: Peter Lang, 2005), 33-48.
- Review of Wilfried Eisele’s, Ein unerschütterliches Reich: Die mittelplatonische Umformung des Parusiegedankens im Hebräerbrief (BZNW 116; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2003), published in CBQ 67 (2005): 140-41.
- "Leben nach dem Tod," delivered to the evangelisch-methodistische Seminar in Reutligen, Germany (2004)
- "From Enoch to the Scrolls," delivered Winter 2004 to the Kolloquium für Graduierte, Tübingen, Germany
- "From Sirach to the Sadducees," delivered Winter 2004 to the Kolloquium für Graduierte, Tübingen, Germany
- Why Wesleyans Favor Women in Ministry (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2004).
- Jesus is Lord: An Introduction to the New Testament (Triangle, 2003).
- Understanding the Book of Hebrews (Westminster John Knox, 2003).
- "Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews: Ronald Williamson’s Study after Thirty Years," Studia Philonica Annual 14 (2002): 112-35.
- "A Celebration of the Enthroned Son: The Catena of Hebrews 1," JBL 120 (2001) 469-485.
- "Jesus and Essene Views of the Afterlife: Common Ground between the Historical Jesus and Qumran?"—paper delivered at the International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls at the University of St. Andrews, Summer, 2001
- "Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews: Ronald Williamson’s Study after Thirty Years"—read at SBL Philo of Alexandria Group, Fall ’00
- "Q and the Merging of Jewish Traditions Concerning the Afterlife"—read at SBL Q Section, Fall ’00
- "Whoever Loses their Life Will Find It: Resurrection and the Historical Jesus"—read at SBL Historical Jesus Section, Fall ’99
- "Keeping His Appointment: Creation and Enthronement in the Epistle to the Hebrews," JSNTJournal for the Study of the New TestamentThe Journal for the Study of the New Testament is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes papers five times a year in the field of Biblical Studies. The journal's editor is Simon Gathercole...
66 (1997) 91-117. - "Did Hebrews Know the Book of Wisdom?"—read at British New Testament Conference, Summer ’95
External links
- http://kenschenck.blogspot.com