Billy The Dever Lecture Tour
March 10, 2008The Daily Reflector of East Carolina University notes
ECU hosts Jarvis Lecture — A biblical archeologist will speak at the 16th annual Jarvis Lecture on Christianity and Culture at 7:30 p.m. March 31 at the Harvey Banquet Hall at the Murphy Center. William G. Dever will present “Did God Have a Wife?: Archaeology and Folk Religion in Ancient Israel.” “Dr. Dever has exceptional credentials as an archeologist and is a major player in the debate about the historicity of the biblical narratives,” said Calvin Mercer, co-director of the ECU Religious Studies Program. Dever will illuminate the multi-faceted role of religion and cult in the everyday lives of the ancient Israelites. The free lecture is sponsored by the East Carolina Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences Religious Studies Program and supported by a contribution from Jarvis Memorial United Methodist Church. Free parking.
The thing to know when attending a Dever lecture is that - when he appears before academic crowds he sounds just like a minimalist and when he appears before conservative crowds or writes for conservative magazines he sounds like a maximalist. He’s quite shrewd in determining his audience. Just so you know.
Oh come on, Jim. Tell us what you really think.
Wait, you did… Ouch.
Just the facts, sire. Ask anyone who knows him or has known him for a period of years.
Having attended a number of Dr. Dever’s lectures as well as two of his seminars, I can say that he tells his audience that he is not a maximalist and how he differs from the minimalists. Just ask him.
Sure, and then when he’s around church audiences he’s a total maximalist and enjoys denigrating the minimalists. Audience is the key.
Hullo Jim,
Some months ago BAR published a discussion between Schiffman, Strange, Dever and Ehrman, with Hershel Shanks posing the questions. It was about faith and very interesting but it was not at all clear whether Dever was still Jewish or if he had become an agnostic.
Best,
Louis