Can Ancient Christians Teach Us Anything about the Bible? | Devin White | Lecture 1

What if the key to reading the Bible well lies not in modern scholarship—but in the ancient church? In this first public lecture hosted by Upper House and the Lumen Center at the Stephen and Laurel Brown Foundation, Dr. Devin White (Biblical Studies Fellow, PhD in New Testament from Emory University) makes a compelling case for recovering early Christian methods of Scripture interpretation.

Drawing on figures from Martin Luther to Origen of Alexandria, Dr. White traces how the Protestant Reformation, the rise of the research university, and the historical-critical method have shaped the way modern Christians read the Bible—often without our knowing it. He introduces the concept of hermeneutics, explores the limits of purely historical approaches to Scripture, and demonstrates how ancient Christian interpretation offers rich resources still relevant today.

Topics covered include:

· Why every Bible reader is "a slave to some defunct theologian"

· How the Reformation and Enlightenment reshaped biblical interpretation

· The strengths and limitations of the historical-critical method

· How Origen of Alexandria read the book of Joshua—and what we can learn from it

· Whether textual editing is compatible with divine inspiration

· Q&A with audience questions on historical criticism, objectivity, and faith

Whether you're a pastor, student, scholar, or curious layperson, this lecture opens a door to a richer, deeper engagement with Christian Scripture—one rooted in the wisdom of the ancient church.

Christian biblical interpretation, hermeneutics, ancient Christian exegesis, historical critical method, Protestant Reformation, Origen of Alexandria, biblical studies, New Testament, Dr. Devin White, Lumen Center, Upper House, Stephen and Laurel Brown Foundation, Madison Wisconsin, Scripture, theology lecture