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30 September – 1 October 2021

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On-Demand

2 October – 10 October 2021

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Papers

2021 Centre for Gospels and Acts Research Biennial Conference

Jesus: Beginning, Middle, and End of Time? Eschatology in Gospels and Acts Research

In 2020, reeling from the global pandemic, it was as if the world was forced to come to a stand-still. The emergent rhetoric spoke of ‘the old normal’ as we looked ahead to ‘the new normal’ — whatever that may be. Human beings live within time. When a large enough crisis occurs the world changes — within time and over time and for time to come. The known past, moves through an uncertain present, on into an unknown future.

As part of this world’s past, Jesus of Nazareth announced ‘the times are fulfilled, the Kingdom of God has drawn near’. The world had come to a crisis point by which it would change forever. According to the message of the earliest Jesus movement, it had entered ‘the last days’. Eschatological time.

The Gospels and Acts report on those times, for the sake of all times. And for we who live in these times. The 21^st century world presents opportunities and challenges that requires the message about Jesus Christ to be continually re-presented with clarity and concern. Such clarification and concern require serious and careful research into the foundation documents of the Christian movement.

SCD Centre for Gospels and Acts Research

“Why should a 21^st century person read these 1^st century documents?

Because although firmly anchored in the 1^st century, Jesus Christ comes to the world as the key for all centuries to come. Always relevant, always contemporary, because a man has risen from the dead. And because we therefore know God has become flesh and dwelt amongst us for a little while. The Gospels bring us to that set of events that herald that greatest of all manifestations when God became flesh.“
…

Prof Peter Bolt

SCD Academic Director

Promoting research into the four Gospels & the Book of Acts

The Sydney College of Divinity Centre for Gospels and Acts Research (CGAR) promotes research into the four Gospels and, due to the connections with Luke, the Book of Acts. It seeks to foster better understanding of these foundational documents of historical Christianity, and encourages research from a variety of methodological perspectives, including historical, archaeological, theological, exegetical, literary, sociological, feminist, and text-critical approaches.

A key part of the Centre’s work is the publication of its journal, JGAR, the Journal of Gospels and Act Research, by SCD Press.