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Joint Theological Ethics and New Testament Research Seminar Autumn Term 2026 

Sermon on the Mount and Contemporary Ethical Reasoning 

Time and venue: 3-5 PM, Mondays, Humanity Manse Seminar Room  

This term’s seminar texts are Jonathan T. Pennington’s The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing (Baker 2017) and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Discipleship (either DBWE 4 [ISBN 0800683242] or Victoria J. Barnett ed. Reader’s Version: 9781506402703). Both main texts should be purchased or downloaded from the library. Please read the scheduled readings before each week’s seminar, which will be introduced by one of the seminar participants. 

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28 S±ð±è³Ù., Introductory discussion of the aim of this seminar. Discussion of Pennington ch. 2 and Bonhoeffer pp. 56-76 in the DBWE 4 volume (the “Simple Obedience” chapter and the definition of “blessedness” on the last pages of the previous chapter). 

5 Oct., Pennington ch. 6 

12 Oct., Pennington ch. 7 

19 Oct., Bonhoeffer on Mt. 5, (pp. 100-145 in the DBWE 4 volume) 

26 Oct., Pennington ch. 8 

2 Nov., Pennington ch. 9 

9 N´Ç±¹., Bonhoeffer on Mt. 6, (pp. 146-148 in the DBWE 4 volume) 

16 N´Ç±¹., Pennington ch. 10 

23 N´Ç±¹., Pennington ch. 11 

30 Nov., Bonhoeffer on Mt. 7 (pp 160-182 in the DBWE 4 volume)  

7 Dec., Concluding discussion: What have we learned? 

Seminar Chairs: Brian Brock and Jamie Davies 

Contact to attend: Brian Brock, b.brock@abdn.ac.uk 

PT Seminar Fall 2025

Our Biblical Studies Seminars are split between Old and New Testament seminars this year. Boht schedules follow just below. 

The Old Testament Seminar will meet every other Wednesday (with the exception of Tuesday, 10 November), starting on 30 September. Staff, PGR and PGT students from all subjects, as well as advanced UG students, are cordially invited to attend any or all of the sessions. They take place in hybrid format, in the Humanity Manse seminar room and online. For those wishing to join the OT Seminar, please fill in the relevant form available . Please contact Prof. Joachim Schaper if there are any further queries.

Wednesday 30 September 2026, 3.00-4.30 p.m.

Professor Joachim Schaper, ºÚÁÏÍø (in person): “‘Whose Justice, which Rationality?’ Observations on Third Millennium BCE Mesopotamian Concepts”

Wednesday 14 October 2026, 3.00-4.30 p.m.

Dr Yitzhak Feder, University of Haifa (online): “Combining Biblical Texts and Psychological Research to Understand Retributive Justice Intuitions”

Wednesday 28 October 2026, 3.00-4.30 p.m

Dr Aslan Cohen Mizrahi, Dartmouth College (online): “The Exceptional Sovereign: Authority in Ancient Near Eastern Restoration Discourses”

Tuesday 10 November 2026, 3.00-4.30 p.m.

Dr Jakub Zbrzeżny, ºÚÁÏÍø (in person): “Biblioclasm as a Reoccurring Feature in the Textual Histories of the Scriptures”

Wednesday 25 November 2026, 3.00-4.30 p.m.

Professor William Tooman, University of St Andrews (in person): On Psalm 8 (title TBC)

Wednesday 9 December 2026, 4.00-5.30 p.m.

Dr Michael A. Lyons, University of St Andrews (in person): "Images of Transience and Permanence in Ancient Israelite Literature" 

For New Testament Studies, this seminar will meet from 3–5pm on Mondays in the Humanity Manse Seminar Room. The seminar will be a joint effort with theological ethics and will focus primarily on two texts. Both texts should be purchased (and should be in Blackwells) or downloaded from the library.

Jonathan T. Pennington’s The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing (Baker 2017),

and

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Discipleship (either DBWE 4 [ISBN 0800683242] or Victoria J. Barnett ed. Reader’s Version: 9781506402703). 

NT Seminar Fall 2026

There are a range of lectures and readings groups - open to all - this semester.

Please see here the Programme for the Classical Association of Scotland: Aberdeen and North of Scotland Centre: .

Further to this Programme of events, Sam Newington (Dr) will be hosting fortnightly reading groups in Greek and Latin. For the Greek reading group, we will be exploring Homer's Iliad 22 and for the Latin Virgil's Aeneid 6. If you are interested in joining please contact Dr Newington: s.newington@abdn.ac.uk.