Sunday Forum

Truth, Not Fact

The talk will explore ways in which the Bible, especially the Older Testament, can provide insights and illuminate our lives, our world, and our God, whether or not its stories are factual.

Dr. Rev. Carolyn Pressler

My love affair with the Bible (which, like all love affairs, is at times stormy) dates back to the 1980s when I attended first Wesley Seminary for an MDiv, then Princeton for a Ph.D. in biblical studies. Thirty years of teaching the scriptures at the United Theological Seminary have changed my understanding of what the Hebrew Bible and biblical interpretation are but have only increased my appreciation of these ancient, surprisingly relevant texts. My teaching and writing are informed by several years of social activism (before attending seminary, I was a community organizer), a love of literature, and by my commitment to the church (I am ordained in the UCC).