‘The Misunderstood Jew’ focus of annual Tate Lecture

In the 16th annual Alice Tate Lecture in Judaic Studies, Amy-Jill Levine of Vanderbilt University will talk on “The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus.” This free, community talk will be at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Myers Park Presbyterian Church.

The lecture will consider how Christians have misunderstood Judaism and the “Jewish” Jesus, while Jews often remain ignorant of Jesus and his messages set in its original Jewish historical contexts.

Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona N. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences. She earned a doctorate and master’s degree from Duke University; her bachelor’s degree is from Smith College.

James Tabor, chair of UNC Charlotte’s Department of Religious Studies, describes Levine as a dynamic, challenging and provocative speaker who is in high demand. She combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist and homophobic theologies.

The Alice Tate Lecture in Judaic Studies is an annual event made possible through an endowment from the late Alice Lindsay Tate of New York. The UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Myers Park Presbyterian Church are cosponsoring this talk.