November 13, 2019 (Wednesday Night) | Rev. Dr. Samuel L. Adams
Long before the term “income inequality” entered our contemporary vocabulary, the Rev. Dr. Samuel L. Adams delved into the subject as it was in biblical times. For three Wednesdays in November, we will hear from Dr. Adams on the economies in the biblical world and what the Old and New Testaments have to say about financial matters today. He will cover such topics as borrowing and lending, inequality, tithing, and the charging of interest. The schedule is:
- Nov. 6: Economics in the Biblical World: An Overview
- Nov. 13: Borrowing, Lending, and Bribery
- Nov. 20: Obligations to the Poor in Scripture
Samuel L. Adams is the Mary Jane and John F. McNair Chair of Biblical Studies and Professor of Old Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary. His interests include the wisdom literature of the Bible and beyond, wealth and poverty in the biblical world, apocalypticism, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Egyptology, biblical theology, and the Bible and film. He published the monograph, ‘Social and Economic Life in Second Temple Judea’ (Westminster John Knox, 2014). His first book, ‘Wisdom in Transition: Act and Consequence in Second Temple Instructions'(Brill, 2008), addresses ancient conceptions of retribution and the possibility of an afterlife. Current book projects include a commentary on the Jewish sage Ben Sira (Anchor Yale Bible) and a comprehensive introduction to wisdom literature. As an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), he has served churches in New Haven, CT, Chicago, IL, and in Richmond, VA.