Jesus Is Coming To Sedona

For those integral fans out there who are also fans of Jesus, I thought you might like to know that Dr. Stephen J. Patterson, a well-known expert on modern Jesus scholarship, is coming to Sedona to talk about current Jesus research.

What does all of this have to do with integral?

Jesus, of course, was one of the first integrally-minded trailblazers to emerge on planet Earth. His emphasis on loving everyone -- including the lowliest and most reviled, rejected and disenfranchised of his day -- not only sent shock waves through the culture in which he was born, but helped lay the foundation for western civilization. In time, many of western civilization's most heroic individuals, nations, and movements -- people and ideas that emphasized equality, forgiveness, community, brotherhood, caring for the poor and needy -- would pick up the banner he championed and carry it to new heights.

But what did Jesus really say and do? Is there any way to find out? And if we could find out, does his message have any relevance for us today?

Breakthroughs in Biblical scholarship have made it possible to discern that two of the three synoptic gospels -- Matthew and Luke -- had a common source document. While this source document, commonly referred to as "Q", has not been discovered, scholars have been able to determine much of what this source document may have contained. And the Jesus that emerges in Q is radically different than the Jesus that appears in the New Testament.

Which is where Dr. Patterson comes in: he will be offering those who are interested a view of who Jesus was, and what he said and did, according to Q and related materials. Here's a brief bio:

"Professor of New Testament at Eden Seminary in St, Louis, where he has taught since 1988, Dr. Patterson grew up the child of a pastor and a school teacher in rural South Dakota. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard University and Claremont Graduate School, and was a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Heidelberg. Author of numerous books, he specializes in the study of the historical Jesus, Christian origins, and the Gospel of Thomas. Dr. Patterson is a member of the Jesus Seminar."

Dr. Patterson will be coming to Sedona May 1-3 and offering a lecture, workshop, and Sunday service:

JESUS UNFILTERED: WHAT WOULD JESUS (REALLY!) DO?
Friday Evening Lecture, May 1
7 to 8:30pm, Booksigning & Reception Following

To many today, the word 'Christian' is associated with political and social conservatism, creationism, and biblical literalism. Have you ever wondered about the religion of Jesus -- What Jesus would (really) do or say? These are the things Stephen Patterson will talk about in this interactive lecture and discussion.

JESUS UNFILTERED: REDISCOVERING THE RELIGION OF JESUS
Saturday Workshop, May 2
10 am - 4:30 pm

In three workshops Stephen Patterson will explore the Wisdom of Jesus, the Ways of Jesus, and the God of Jesus with the aim of bringing the Jesus Movement of the 1st century back to life for a few hours on a Saturday in Sedona, Arizona. You may never think about Jesus the same way again!

A .pdf version of the flyer for these events can be found here.

And here's where you can go to find out more and/or register.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION & LINKS:

The Gospel Q: A Bite-Sized Primer

The Sayings Gospel Q

The Lost Sayings Gospel Q