Back to News 
MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Sept. 11, 2024) — Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan welcomes Dr. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, the Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary, to discuss the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Romans during this year’s Edwin V. Hayden Lectureship in New Testament on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
The lectures will be held in the Mildred Welshimer Phillips Memorial Chapel in the B.D. Phillips Building and are free and open to the public.
Gaventa’s lecture series, “In Search of Paul: Apostle and Gospel in Paul’s Letter to the Romans,” includes:
- “‘I Am Not Ashamed:’ Who is the Apostle Paul?” Monday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.
- “Paul Between Christ and Israel: Romans 9–11,” Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 10:30 a.m.
- “The Apostle’s Peculiar Labor: Romans 15–16,” Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m.
“Dr. Gaventa is one of the premier interpreters of Paul’s letter to the Romans, having worked closely with the text and scholarship over the last decade,” said Dr. Rollin Ramsaran, professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Emmanuel. “She previously taught a class in Emmanuel’s Doctor of Ministry program a number of years ago, and we are most pleased to welcome her back to campus to give this year’s Hayden Lectures.”
Gaventa is one of the leading New Testament scholars and has published over a dozen books on the scriptures, particularly the letters of Paul. Her latest book, “Romans: A Commentary,” was released in July as part of the New Testament Library Series (Westminster John Knox, 2024). Her other publications include “When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul” (Baker Press, 2016); “The Acts of the Apostles” (Abingdon, 2003); and commentaries on I and II Thessalonians (Westminster John Knox, 1998).
In 2020, Gaventa received the Burkitt Medal by the British Society for Arts and Humanities, an annual award in biblical studies rarely bestowed on an American scholar. In 2016 she was president of the Society of Biblical Literature, the largest professional organization of biblical scholars in the world. Gaventa received her bachelor’s degree from Phillips University, her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary and her doctorate from Duke University.
The Hayden Lectureship honors the legacy of Edwin V. Hayden, a prolific minister, writer and editor for the Christian Standard. In 1988, Emmanuel honored Hayden as the first recipient of the James A. Garfield Award for service to the church.
For more information on the Edwin V. Hayden Lectureship at Emmanuel, visit ecs.milligan.edu/lectures.