Feb 3, 2004

First Congregational Church hosts John D. Crossan
Lecture on the lost early years of early Christianity

John Dominic Crossan will speak on “The Lost Years of Earliest Christianity at the First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), Sunday, Feb. 15 at 1980 Hamilton Avenue in Willow Glen. The free program is scheduled for 4:30 in the church sanctuary with a reception prior to the lecture at 3:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Professor Crossan is professor emeritus of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago. His most recent book is titled “The Birth of Christianity.” He has written at least 15 other books including “The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant” and “The Birth of Christianity: Discovering What Happened in the Years Immediately After the Execution of Jesus.”

He was educated at Maynooth College in Ireland (for his doctorate), at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem. After a long, successful teaching career at DePaul, he received the university’s highest honor, the Via Sapientiae Award in 1995.

Even though he is retired from teaching, he has continued his work in the Society of Biblical Literature. He writes for four professional journals and contributes to the Jesus Seminar. “It was only after ‘The Historical Jesus’ was published in late 1991 that I realized that…there were many people out there eager to give very serious thought to their faith and ready to do very serious work as part of that renewal,” he said.

Dr. Crossan’s lecture will be the second for the Adult Education Roundtable project sponsored by the United Disciples Fellowship, Christian Church/Dsciples of Christ, in partnership with the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in San Jose. Last year Paula Fredrickson spoke on the historical Jesus or the years leading up to the crucifixion. Dr. Crossan’s 60-90 minute lecture will take up where she left off discussing the early beginnings of the Christian religion.

For more information, contact the church at 377-7121.