Last week, Hamline students and St. Paul residents alike gathered to listen to the thoughts and opinions of visiting scholars and professors on new ways of approaching the Bible in a modern world.

Sponsored by the Wesley Center for Spirituality and Social Justice, the event centered around the critically acclaimed book “The New New Testament,” written by Dr. Hal Taussig. Taussig, an author, pastor and professor of Christian studies, visited Hamline University this week to offer his opinions and insights on the book for the 2015 Mahle Lecture in Progressive Christian Thought.

Taussig led the event as the guest lecturer, where he discussed the documents that his book examines in more detail. “The New New Testament” is a collection of more than 10 ancient documents that until the 1940s had been undiscovered. During their time of origin, all of these ancient works influenced Christian communities with as much importance as the works now called the New Testament. Taussig discussed not only how these works should be approached but also the ideas and importance surrounding the emergence of these previously unknown documents.

On Sunday, Hamline hosted a panel including New Testament scholars Dr. Neil Elliot, Sister Joan Mitchell and Dr. J. Samuel Subramanian to continue the discussion about interpreting biblical texts.

“I liked the story that Hal Taussig said about the Baptist Church; that they were all gung ho about the gospel of Thomas and were so confused why this wasn’t in the Bible that they have been reading. It showed that these writings have some important teachings that we should look into more,” said Kyra Engen, a first-year who attended the Sunday event.

Chaplain Nancy Victorin-Vangerud started the panel event with a reading of the Prayer of Thanksgiving, an example of one of the manuscripts discussed in Taussig’s book. This opened the floor for Elliot, who gave his criticism and opinion of Taussig’s book and how the reader should approach this book. Sister Mitchell was second to take the podium, where she shared her expertise on the messages of feminism in both the Bible and also in the featured texts.

“I really enjoyed the feminist point of view that Sister Mitchell brought up during panel on Tuesday,” commented first-year New Testament student Molly Nickell.

Subramanian, the last speaker for the panel, discussed the history surrounding the development of the Bible and what exactly made the Bible it is today.

“What we know that has been currently canonical was not assembled to be anything like its present form… the Christian canon was not completed before the death of the Apostles, the New Testament did not exist in the time of the Apostles… the Church fathers were not carrying pocket New Testaments,” said Subramanian,  joking about the creation of the New Testament.

Following the speakers, the event was opened up for questions from the audience. Questions ranged from the life experience of prominent Bible figures such as Mary Magdalene to the impact that these recovered documents will have on modern Christianity.

In the future, Victorin-Vangerud and the Wesley Center for Spirituality plan on hosting similar events that will be available to both Hamline students and people around the Hamline Midway area.