Fall 2018 K.J. Campbell Preaching Workshop

Turning the Text: Midrashic Biblical Imagination for Preachers and Congregations

How might we approach the biblical texts used in preaching and worship with a holy, open, even playful imagination that can inspire courageous, engaged and faithful living in a North American religious climate in which the Bible has often been weaponized, idolized, or even abandoned? One approach is with a midrashic biblical imagination, which has its roots within the Bible itself, and among its earliest Jewish rabbinic interpreters. Midrashic imagination “turns and turns the text” (Pirkei Avot 5:22) with an openness to the polyvalence of biblical texts and to multiple possible interpretations. It connects the biblical narrative to our contemporary contexts through a combination of careful textual study and a reverent imaginative engagement with the Lively Word of God as it is found in Scripture. This process is also inherently communal, inviting not just the preacher but also the community into the interpretive process. The workshops will lead participants into a Midrashic process, using the upcoming Revised Common Lectionary texts, chosen for their curious complexity, and timeliness. Participants can expect to gain hands-on experience with a midrashic-exegetical approach to the preaching text, as well as learn tools for engaging congregations with this approach in both lectionary bible study and public worship.