HERMENEUTICS
her·me·neu·tics | /ˌhərməˈn(y)o͞odiks/ (noun) 

Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with the general principles of interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts. Hermeneutics is more of an art, than a science. 

The Bible is God’s inspired message to humanity. As students of God’s Word, we come to Scripture seeking meaning from the text. But how do we find that meaning? 

The Bible is a collection of sixty-six documents. These texts contain narrative, history, letters, poetry, wisdom literature, and apocalyptic writing. The most recently composed parts of Scripture are almost 2,000 years old. Plus, this collection of literature comes from different cultures than our own. So how do we approach these texts that we consider inspired Scripture and draw meaning from them? 

This is where established principles of biblical hermeneutics are helpful. The Art of Scripture Reading will explore these principles. 

You might be wondering,

  • As a novice student of the Bible, how can I get the most from my Bible study?

  • As an intermediate student of the Bible, what tools will help me to dig deeper into the text? 

  • As an advanced student of the Bible, what are the current, cutting-edge principles of hermeneutics that will help me exegete Scripture?

JOIN US

The Art of Scripture Reading is for anyone who wants to join the discussion around best practices of applied hermeneutics. Learn how to draw meaning from the biblical text. Learn how to apply the meaning of Scripture to your current cultural context. Participants in the conference will have the opportunity to ask questions of specialists in this field. If you want to learn more about exegesis, expository preaching, spiritual Bible reading, how to establish and grow a teaching ministry, or how to become a teacher, then this is your conference. 

This will be a hybrid conference (in person and online). It is open to:

  • Bible Teachers

  • Those in the full-time and part-time paid ministry

  • Elders, evangelists, women’s ministry leaders, and small group discussion leaders

  • Church members

  • College students and teens

  • Anyone interested in drawing deeper meaning from Scripture 

At this event, you will also have opportunities to connect with others on topics that interest you and have deeper discussions during our open breakout times. 

Teleios Conference 2022 General Session Speakers

ALL SPEAKER BIOS

General Session Schedule

  • Plenary Session: Hermeneutics & Leadership

    Writers and speakers on ministry and Christian leadership often take one of three approaches: 1) study the Scriptures, 2) explore relevant “secular” business and scholarly sources, or 3) examine personal experience to identify “what works” in the field. While each may be helpful, each approach also has significant limitations. Rooted in the discipline of practical theology, this seminar will explore an integrative approach towards faithful ministry leadership practice.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary #2: Searching for the Pattern

    This has been an historic approach to reading Scripture, and the Stone-Campbell Movement has been immersed in it. Is there a pattern for which we should be searching, and if so, what sort of pattern is it? This presentation offers a way to embrace patternism but in a theocentric and dynamic way rather than through a static blueprint model.

    Speaker Bios

  • (See Below)

  • (See Below)

  • Plenary #3: The Art of Scripture Reading 

    This class will define hermeneutics and exegesis. It will also debunk three myths associated with hermeneutics. Finally, it will present a hermeneutical principle that will help students derive more understanding from Scripture, i.e., viewing the text through the eyes of Jesus.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary #4: Thinking Metaphorically and Metaphysically: The Study of Literature as a Means to Spiritual Enlightenment

    Throughout the Scriptures, God speaks to us through figurative language because he created us to think metaphorically. Understanding symbolism, imagery, anthropomorphism, allegory, and other poetic devices is at times necessary to comprehend theological concepts that lie at the foundation of our beliefs. This class will discuss how developing our understanding of literary elements of Scripture can deepen our practice of exegesis and enhance our relationship with God.

Thursday | Feb 24th

Friday | Feb 25th

  • Plenary Session: The Crucified Ego: Galatians and the Politics of Narrative

    This presentation is on what it means to consider Israel’s story as Christian scripture. The Jesus narratives are understood to be a fulfilment and outworking of Jewish redemptive history, and these narratives to punctuate the theology of Paul. This class will demonstrate how the resurrection of Jesus is the high point of redemptive history as reflected in Galatians and suggest why this has import for us as teachers, for those who lead in churches and indeed for disciples more broadly.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary Session: Reading Luke’s Story of Jesus and the Way

    God chose narrative as a central form of revelation in scripture. Taking this form seriously, how do we become better readers of story, and how do we apply what we learn from ancient stories to our world today? This class will provide useful tools for reading and studying New Testament narrative, looking closely at examples from Luke and Acts. It will explore such narrative dynamics as structure, language, characterization, social/cultural dynamics, plot, and intertextuality (how stories interact with each other). The class will also consider how paying close attention to Luke’s story not only helps us appreciate scripture more fully but also shapes our lives of faith today.

    Speaker Bios

  • (See Below)

  • (See Below)

  • Plenary Session: Reading the Pastoral Epistles with the Greco-Roman Household as Context

    This class will examine the Greco-Roman Household as the socio-cultural context and dominant metaphor for interpreting the Pastoral Epistles. It will seek to demonstrate that unwittingly reading these letters through the lens of the contemporary reader’s socio-cultural context, and without understanding the Greco-Roman Household context of the letters can lead to misunderstanding and misapplication of their texts. Conversely, reading the letters with an understanding of the Greco-Roman Household as their context will yield a deeper and more accurate understanding and more appropriate contemporary applications that are faithful to the text.

    Speaker Bios

Saturday | Feb 26th

  • Plenary Session: Hiding in Plain Sight: Locating the Feminine in the Being of God

    Across scripture, one need not search for too long to find masculinized depictions of God—God is father, God is king. In fact, the majority of biblical heroes are men. As a result, Christians are hard-pressed to find depictions of God in decidedly feminine terms within this world of male normativity and so become ill at ease with locating and envisaging the femininity of God. And yet, evidence of God’s femininity is scattered throughout both testaments. Genesis 1:27 even asserts that men and women are both created in the imago dei, “in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Therefore, this session seeks to challenge and inform the eyes of our hearts—our hermeneutical predispositions, inclinations, capacities—to locate the feminine, which first existed, not in women, but God, the Creator of both male and female.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary Session: The Use of Scripture in Christian Ethics

    Traditionally Christians have agreed that whatever the church proclaims as the gospel and teaches as Christian doctrine and ethics should be supported by the Bible. In every age, however, Christians find themselves disagreeing about what the Bible actually teaches and on the proper way to incorporate that teaching into its doctrine and ethics. In this talk I will focus on the current controversy within many churches over same-sex relationships, specifically about the meaning and proper use of Bible’s ethical teaching on same-sex relationships. I will argue for a traditional view on this subject. But I will offer criticisms of the way many traditionalists as well as progressives use the Bible in their arguments. I will propose an approach to the use of Scripture in Christian ethics in support of the traditional view of same-sex relationships that escapes some of the pitfalls of the common traditionalist arguments.

    Traditionally Christians have agreed that whatever the church proclaims as the gospel and teaches as Christian doctrine and ethics should be supported by the Bible. In every age, however, Christians find themselves disagreeing about what the Bible actually teaches and on the proper way to incorporate that teaching into its doctrine and ethics. In this talk I will focus on the current controversy within many churches over same-sex relationships, specifically about the meaning and proper use of Bible’s ethical teaching on same-sex relationships. I will argue for a traditional view on this subject. But I will offer criticisms of the way many traditionalists as well as progressives use the Bible in their arguments. I will propose an approach to the use of Scripture in Christian ethics in support of the traditional view of same-sex relationships that escapes some of the pitfalls of the common traditionalist arguments.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary Session: Scripture as Story: A Starting Point for Teaching and Preaching from the Old Testament

    This presentation will describe an intentional approach to reading the Bible as story. We often encounter the stories of the Bible in our teaching and preaching and this approach regards these stories as episodes that contribute to a unified, overarching story. When it comes to hermeneutics and the Old Testament, this approach provides reason for regular engagement of the Old Testament and some specific methods for interpretation.

    Speaker Bios

  • Plenary Session: Were Not Our Hearts Burning: Expository Power in the Pulpit

    Nothing sets hearts aflame like the Word of God bursting to life. All preaching is in service to the Word. Jesus modeled effective exposition on the Road to Emmaus. Let’s do our best to model Jesus.

    Speaker Bios

Breakout Session Schedule

  • Breakout Session: “Friend’s Don’t Let Friends Read Alone”: The Art of Reading Scripture in Community

    The Bible tells the communal story of God’s people and is it meant to be processed in community. Diverse experiences, cultures and stages of life can enrich our biblical interpretation.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: History of Biblical Hermeneutics

    This class will cover early Christian hermeneutics: Antioch vs Alexandria, Medieval hermeneutics, Reformation hermeneutics, the hermeneutics of the Enlightenment and of conservative Christianity in the 19th century, liberal Protestant hermeneutics, as well as 20th Century hermeneutics, missional and postmodern hermeneutics.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Letting Scripture Be Scripture

    Lacking a preface or reader's guide, the Bible's use and interpretation must be inferred from the features of Scripture itself. Many modern approaches to interpretation begin with definitions and methods that obscure the Bible's vital and diverse landscapes. What are some of the features of Scripture that might inform how we are to interpret it, and what do these features tell us about God?postmodern hermeneutics.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: A Reading of 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

    This class will consider Paul’s defense of his ministry in 2 Corinthians 3 and 4, exploring images such as removing the veil. In it we will consider and reflect on Paul’s language and message and what they may impart to us today as we make room to read Scripture.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Reading and Experiencing the Bible as Phenomenon

    The Bible did not fall out of the sky! God’s wisdom for all humankind is being revealed through a diverse group of writers and time periods. These human authors were writing and theologizing their own history and context carried by the Holy Spirit often echoing the writers before them. By us keeping that in front of us, we can bring not only our scriptural and historical knowledge to the table when interpreting the Bible but all of our diverse life experiences in our congregations. I hope as we are carried by the Holy Spirit today, we can still have an encounter with the living God as these authors did and spiritually discern in our congregational contexts what God is doing among us. I hope to reveal the Bible as Jesus was revealed as both divine and human. For some in our pursuit of the divine and metaphysical can lose our humanity for others, while others can over pursue their humanity and ignore God presence completely.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Missional Hermeneutics of Salvation - Saving Onesimus and Philemon

    Is forgiveness of sins the complete picture of Salvation? Should we expect more? As Image-Bearers, who partner with God, do we have a continuing role in Salvation? We will study the book of Philemon and see how Paul answers these important questions.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Reading Leadership Models in Scripture

    This class will examine the biblical concepts of kenosis and cruciformity in contrast to self-differentiation as presented in Bowen Systems Theory. The dialogue of these concepts provide important insights for leadership in anxious times.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Contextualizing the Gospel: How Paul's Theological Vision Inspires Us To Have Our Own

    Missiologist Lesley Newbigin has argued that the church is meant to be the gospel on display (or the ultimate "hermeneutic of the gospel"). The apostle Paul seems to affirm this idea of "lived text" when he says to the disciples in Corinth, "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings" (1 Cor 9:23). How can we move beyond a "proof-texting," purely doctrinal approach to the text as we share the gospel with others? Our current post-modern environment certainly calls for it. This class will explore ideas about how we can "live the text," reflecting the story of scripture in our lives, connecting people to the narrative of God's working in the world.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Living and Active: The Art of Being Transformed by God's Word

    A study of historic and modern approaches to scripture, and the methodologies developed through the centuries toward spiritual formation by Christian leaders.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Church: The Pillar and Foundation of the Truth

    Taking up again the biblical call for the church to become what Paul described as “the pillar and foundation of the truth”, especially in the post-pandemic scenario with the ideological and philosophical influence left by social networks in many Christians around the world, who have been exposed more than ever before to many doctrinal currents, conspiracy theories and cultural movements within the range of a single click. The modern Christian church needs to recognize the ideological battle that is taking place on many Christians’ minds after being overly exposed to many Gigabytes of information at the same time, thanks to the confinement induced by the pandemic and the isolation from the close relationships with the local congregation. The Christians ministers need to recognize too the enormous need of a healthy diet of biblical teaching to the congregations, and the key role that the Bible teacher has in strengthening the church, especially in the ICOC fellowship of churches that historically was characterized in a global scale for not taking seriously the need for deep biblical teaching.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Setting the Heart Aflame –– Reading Scripture Deeply and Well

    There are different ways of reading, depending on your purpose for reading at the time. This class explains the differences between intensive, extensive, and close Bible reading and will provide direction and suggestions for the purposes best suited to each style of reading the Bible. Selected passages and examples will illustrate how and when intensive, extensive, and close reading may be applied to the Bible. This will equip you to learn how to understand better what the biblical authors were communicating to their original audiences as well as understand how to more responsibly and accurately apply the Bible to your own life.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Philosophical Foundations of Hermeneutics

    Hermeneutics are founded on different philosophical constructs and therefore the suppositions underlying our interpretive lens is very important to understand. Understanding the influence of our worldview and philosophical perspective has significant ramifications for our understanding of text. Hermeneutical humility to be self-aware of our own bias and unconscious thinking that shapes our understanding is imperative for intellectual honest scholarship.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Redemption Story Foretold Through Women of the Old Testament

    And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27) Learn how God foreshadowed Christ's redemptive work through the women of the Old Testament.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Multicultural Considerations in Reading the Text

    Reading the Bible with a multicultural lens matters. Globalization and migration have made our world smaller. It is a small world, after all. Considering the text through a cultural lens allows you to connect to the people who are different from you in our time and space. It cultivates empathy. Reading the Bible through this lens, can also help you see your cultural blind spots, which may distort the way we read the Bible. Often, we are anxious to form conclusions too early out of fear or wanting control and not leaving space and letting the Spirit of God appear on their own terms. Hermeneutics is not only about interpreting scripture, but it also interprets the moment and what God might be up to through “the other” – someone different than you.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Mesmerized: Reading Biblical Poetry Closely

    Poetry makes up a large part of Scripture. This class introduces close readings that coach us to go beyond the usual modes of parallelism and read with expectation and imagination.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: God-Centered Biblical Interpretation

    What if God wants you to be biased in your interpretation of Holy Scripture? We will explore the growing movement challenging the effectiveness of “scientific” hermeneutics (which attempt to find the “unbiased meaning” of texts) and consider how the biases created by faith and trust in God should affect our biblical interpretation.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Exegesis of Mark 9:30-42 In Light of the Greek Text

    This class will look at the historical, literary, canonical, and theological context of this entire periscope with the ultimate purpose of more clearly defining who Jesus meant by “these little ones” in verse 42. The spiritual stakes are tremendously high, for to cause “these little ones” to stumble is to invite a drowning in the sea with a millstone around one’s neck. Just who are “these little ones” that Jesus is commanding us to treat with such special concern? We will look specifically at how the Greek text illuminates difficulties in understanding passages such as these.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Need for Divine Revelation

    As a result of human limitations, we can only know what truth is because God chooses to reveal it to us, and without divine revelation, knowledge of the truth remains hidden, or at best, uncertain. “He [God] gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him” (Dan 2:21b-22). Beginning with the prophet Moses, God established a systematic preservation of his revealed word in written form, and from that point forward the Israelites became those who had “been entrusted with the very words of God” (Rom 3:2). At some point in our human development, each one of us ponders the questions of ultimate meaning of life and being (i.e., questions of origin, guilt, anxiety, significance, and death). Since these questions of ultimate meaning have their origin in the human heart (or soul) and not simply in the mind, the search for answers requires something more than just the exercise of our human intellect. Ultimately the search for God and the search for truth are one and the same and pursuing these personal questions should lead us to a personal answer! "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (Ps 25:4)
    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Literary Context in Hermeneutics

    An often overlooked step in any hermeneutical process is identifying and understanding the literary genre in which a passage is written. This class will give an overview of the different literary genres found in the Bible and provide a greater understanding of the role that genre plays in the interpretation of a passage.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Trauma Hermeneutics

    The integration of trauma through the lens of scripture is a new but monumental shift in perspective. Trauma is a radical disturbance that strikes at the very core of what makes us human and has considerable influence on how we interpret scripture. This class will provide an outline of how biblical scholarship approaches the study of psychological trauma. The class will aim to give context to how biblical trauma can be used to heal congregants at an individual and collective level for our modern world. The framework for the class is based upon a collection of articles made available by the Society of Biblical Literature.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Teaching and Practice of Fasting in The Bible and Early Church: Controversies and Clarity

    In this lesson, Emmanuel searches through the Bible, highlighting the
    many observances of this age long spiritual discipline. He showcases the consistent features of this practice, both in the lives of Jesus, His
    disciples and early church; providing clarity to knotty or misconstrued passages, while reproving the errors that have so permeated the practice today.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Importance of Genre

    The Bible is not only a collection of books. It is a collection of literary styles: Law, History, Prophecy, Poetry, Gospels, Epistles, Wisdom and Apocalyptic texts. In order to practice good hermeneutics in interpreting biblical texts, the genre of the text must be taken into consideration. This class will discuss the importance of genre, the resources you will need, and an exegetical example of using genre in interpreting a biblical text.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

Thursday | Feb 24th

Friday | Feb 25th

  • Breakout Session: A Teacher's Hermeneutical Roles: The Exegete, The Homilete, The Paraclete

    We are so blessed to be disciples at a time when the church desperately wants to grow in size as well as depth and substance. This desire has given rise to our ministry as teachers. But what is yet to be determined is the exact role teachers can play in the local congregation. This class will demonstrate three fundamental ways teachers can serve as blessings to the ministry: the exegete, one who expounds and interprets the text, the homilete, one who preaches and teaches, and the Paraclete, one who joins the Holy Spirit in being an advocate, helper, and comforter to the ministry.
    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Dopamine Hits, Tweets, and Rage: Hermeneutics for Peacemakers

    This session will present two dimensions that comprise a hermeneutic of peacemaking for a divided age. We will look at scriptural resources that enable disciples to be read by the biblical text. This receptive reading approach then informs a socio-political biblical hermeneutic that brings into bold relief three central commitments of peacemaking that require rigorous embodiment in our polarized age.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Experiencing God: Our Senses and Interpretation

    Our Restoration history hermeneutic includes a rational, scientific analysis of Scripture. How might our connection with God increase if we more fully engage our senses as we interpret Scripture? This class will explore ways our God-given senses partner with Scripture to experience God more fully.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Overcoming Evil With Good: A Study on Romans 12:14-21

    A discussion on the historical, literary, and canonical context of Romans 12:14-21 and its application in our daily lives today.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Hermeneutics 101: The Need For Hermeneutics

    A brief look at the need for hermeneutics, hermeneutics defined, the role of the interpreter, and the meaning of the message. We will also cover some challenges of Biblical Interpretation and discuss Eternal Relevance-The Divine Factor.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The New Testament Use of the Old Testament

    This class will discuss the various hermeneutical approaches and considerations that surround understanding the NT use of the OT.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Biblical Meditation and Contemplation: The Word Becomes Flesh

    This class will examine the disciplines of Biblical meditation and contemplation. Specifically, we will discuss how the Bible talks about these disciplines, how ancient and contemporary writers have described these disciplines, and practical strategies for integrating them within the modern life of a Christ-follower.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Inviting the Holy Spirit into Our Hermeneutics

    Jesus promised his followers that it is better for him to leave; that it is to our benefit to have the Counselor come. The Counselor that will convict and remind us of everything necessary to follow God. We affirm that the Holy Spirit is the breath of Scripture and has been promised and indwelled within each believer, but do we trust and rely on that same Spirit to guide our interpretation. Is the Spirit relevant to our understanding and reading of scripture or has it done its work in giving us the Bible? Does the Holy Spirit have ongoing work in helping us to discover meaning, purpose and application of Scripture? This class will create a posture of Spirit-inspired openness that helps Bible readers, preachers, teachers and communities surrender our understanding to the Spirit that reveals and “searches everything, even the depths of God."

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: No Divisions Among You: 1 Corinthians and the Cultural Context of Status

    One of the more neglected aspects of contextual contemplation in hermeneutics is often the development of a solid understanding of the cultural and social setting of biblical texts. This is particularly true in reading and applying 1st Corinthians. When contemporary readers miss the cultural and social backdrop, there is a tendency to flatten the text and turn it into a type of law to be blindly followed rather than challenging principles to be grasped in their own time and context, wrestled with, and thoughtfully applied in our own communities and contexts.

    This class will consider the cultural and societal impact of social status, class, and honor in Roman Corinth and how being familiar with these elements help us to gain greater depth of recognition for how Paul challenged the church in ways that we often miss. Doing this will help invigorate the texts as we apply them to the church today and our modern challenges and situations.
    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Intimate, Positive, Experiential, Relationship as the Focal Point or Organizational Center and Impetus for the Bible sustained by Yada’/Ginosko Theology: An Inquiry

    This study is an inquiry into the idea of “relationship” (specifically “intimate positive experiential relationship”) being the Central Focal Point of the whole Bible. It seeks to show that it is God’s desire for this type of relationship (between himself and human beings, and between human beings and other human beings) which is the impetus and purpose behind the Bible. In considering this idea, this class we will look at other different Organizational Centers that have been proposed and offer this relational focus as one which might unite many other proposed Centers showing itself as a common denominator. In addition, perhaps at its core, since the term “relationship” is not clearly a term specifically found in the Bible, this presentation will attempt to show how Yada’/Ginosko Theology can be one of the undergirding Scriptural facets and definers of the above mentioned desired “relationship.” If accepted, then this focus creates an overarching framework for reading the Bible and hopes to answer the question “What is the Bible all about?"

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Community Theology

    One of the greatest challenges among Christians is the tension that often arises between hermeneutic and unity. How Scripture is read and lived is of utmost importance (2 Timothy 3:16-17), but so is unity among Jesus’ disciples (John 17:20-23). Often disagreements over hermeneutics result in deep conflicts within and between churches.

    The thesis of the talk is twofold: (1) an “interpretative community” practicing “community theology” is better equipped to read Scripture well than an individual; and (2) “community theology” presents a great tool for unity. The class will investigate the biblical foundation for community theology, provide a practical description of its main principles and building blocks, and present a real-life case study (“The Bible and Gender”).

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Women in Hermeneutics—Amplifying Women’s Stories to Glean from the Heart of God

    Women’s stories are best told by women. The stories of women in the Scriptures are no different. It is important for women to delve into the field of hermeneutics so we can help ourselves and others gain greater insights into the heart of God and why these women’s stories are written.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: The Discipline of Simplicity and Solitude : Integrating Spiritual Formation with Reading Scripture

    The sacred word desires to transform our inner self and produce God intended fruits in our lives. If exegesis is to achieve a credible and coherent understanding of the text on its own terms and in its own context or that somehow the text in its context may speak to us in our different-yet-similar context[1], then Spiritual formation prepares the mind and soul of the reader for the ministry of the word.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: WORD DWELL RICHLY: The Relationship Between Songs, Scripture, and the Community of Faith

    The capacity of songs to carry text has great implications for how they may relate to the development of scripture and the the cultural history of Israel and the early church. In this class we will explore some examples and then look more deeply at one of the oldest songs (predating the text) contained in within the biblical narrative, the “Lament of David” (2 Sam 1:19-27) and how it may function in this regard. We will see that songs serve a unique role in our identity as the people of God, serving both to connect us back to the original event/ history that may have birthed them and identifying us with the community that now possesses them, giving songs new meaning in present context. We’ll also consider modern day examples and implications for the indwelling of scripture (Col 3:16) with new scripture-based songs.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Reading the Markan Jesus as Roman Counterculture

    From its incipit to the Passion, the gospel of Mark positions Jesus as a direct challenge to traditional Roman leadership models. This class reads Mark in its imperial setting, permeated by images of conquest. Greco-Roman literature, art and currency inscribed the paradigmatic man at the helm of political leadership, heroic in battle and silent in death. Conversely, the Markan Jesus held no political office, refused battle and died screaming. This class will explore how the image of Christ on a cross subverts traditional Roman tropes. As such, Mark’s gospel offers relevant and pragmatic counsel for how Christians can navigate socio-political culture today.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Biblical Antidotes for Burnout

    One of God’s titles in Scripture is the God of Peace. Jesus offers peace to the weary and burdened, yet he was a man of sorrows who prayed with loud cries and tears during his life on earth. Are there biblical antidotes for burnout? What role do confession and forgiveness play in our level of resilience?

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: A Practical Guide to Interpreting One Passage of Scripture

    It is good to know that one cannot read the Bible without interpreting it, just as one cannot read any book that exists without interpreting it. And no one comes neutrally before the Holy Scriptures. Everyone comes to it with his or her own cultural, religious, philosophical and other backgrounds, hence the importance of a practical guide to biblical interpretation in order to avoid all kinds of bias. This practical guide aims to ensure a correct interpretation of the Scriptures in order to bring out the true message conveyed by the author and to apply it correctly to our context and our own lives.

    This work is not intended as a guide to interpretation. We will simply recall some important steps to follow when dealing with a text of Scripture; the important questions to ask at each step. Then I will take a practical case, that is to say; a passage of Scripture as an example and show how to make a good biblical interpretation.

    Breakout Speakers Bios

  • Breakout Session: Foundation and Future: Exodus Typology and A Hermeneutic of Belief in Isaiah 40-55

    In Isaiah 40-55, Exodus is more than just a founding story; it is a glimpse into the future. In these chapters, the prophet reimagines the meaning of Exodus for those exiles living at the end of Babylon’s dominance. The Exodus motif in Isaiah is evoked to describe the end of the Exile and communicate God’s ultimate future. This eschatologically oriented interpretation of Exodus sought to kindle hope beyond national restoration.

    Breakout Speaker Bios

Teleios Conference 2023 FAQ

  • Conference dates are February 24th, 25th, and 26th, for both in-person and online attendees. You can view the At-A-Glance Schedule HERE.

  • There are several hotels in the area, but there are four we would recommend for your stay:

    ***PREFERRED***: DoubleTree by Hilton Irvine - Spectrum (90 Pacifica, Irvine, CA, 92618):

    https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/onaisdt-doubletree-irvine-spectrum/

    Courtyard Irvine Spectrum (7955 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine, CA, 92618): https://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-rooms/snasi-courtyard-irvine-spectrum/

    Marriott Irvine Spectrum (7905 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine, CA, 92618):

    https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/snamc-marriott-irvine-spectrum/

    Residence Inn by Marriott Irvine Spectrum (10 Morgan, Irvine, CA, 92618):

    https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/snair-residence-inn-irvine-spectrum/

  • All times listed on the website are Pacific Daylight Time. For those who are attending online, you can convert to your local time zone HERE.

  • There are benefits to both. In-person attendees will be able to interact more directly with the class teachers, and of course, enjoy face-to-face fellowship with other in-person attendees. As of now, all in-person classes are planned to have live teachers.

    Online attendees will be able to join the in-person classes via video stream. Some of the breakout classes will be recorded and then made available later that same day to our online attendees.

    Both in-person and online attendees will have access the the digital pass following the conference, which will include recordings of all sessions.

  • The John Wayne Airport (SNA) is the closest to the conference, only 15 minutes from the Orange County Church of Christ. This airport is serviced by several commercial airlines, including American, Delta, United, and Southwest, among others.

  • The conference programming will begin at 9:00 AM on Thursday, February 24th and conclude at 4:30 PM on Saturday, February 26th. We recommend arriving sometime on Wednesday night, and planning a departing flight for sometime after 7:30 PM on Saturday.

  • 10 Goodyear, Irvine, CA 92618. Plan your route using this link on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/YfjipcGjbG4kBKdFA

  • Yes. If you plan to show the lessons to a group of over 100 individuals, please purchase the appropriate Large Group digital pass option.

  • Sorry, no, we do not offer an option for individual classes.

  • Hoag Hospital Irvine (16200 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine, CA 92618)

  • You are welcome to rent a car, but rideshare options (Uber, Lyft, etc) are also abundant in Orange County! The drive between the church and the recommended hotels/restaurants is roughly 3.5 miles 10 minutes each way.

  • No, if you registered in-person or online, the digital pass is included in your registration.

    We sent out an email on April 3, 2023 to all attendees with the necessary credentials to access the digital pass. If you registered, look for an email with the subject, "Your 2023 Teleios Digital Pass Is Ready!" You may also need to check your spam folder as sometimes our emails end up there.

  • Correct, the Online Registration price will remain the same all the way through the conference dates. This is our effort to make the conference as affordable and accessible as possible to all.

  • YES. All classes, both in-person and online, will be recorded. Recordings will be made available sometime after the conference ends (allowing time for editing and adding subtitles). Access to class recordings is included in the registration fee.

  • Yes. Registration includes access to both in-person and online classes. You can choose to join some sessions at Abilene and others from the comfort of your hotel room. The information to access online classes will be provided to you prior to the start of the conference.

  • Yes. Online access is per device, not per person. So, if you and a few friends want to have a watch party gathered around one computer other screen, that is fine! Please keep in mind however that this will mean that you will also watch all the same breakout together. If the members of your group have trouble deciding which classes to attend, we would suggest purchasing more than one registration for your group.

  • For the best experience, we recommend watching the conference using either a laptop or desktop computer. If possible, we also recommend using a wired internet connection as opposed to wifi, as this will provide you the most stable connection possible regardless of how many other devices are in your home. You will be able to access the conference using a mobile device, however the quality of your conference experience may be inferior to those who use a laptop or desktop.