a) Invited

• “Persian Imperial Politics, the Beginnings of Public Torah Readings, and the Origins of the Synagogue.” Paper presented at the international conference The Ancient Synagogue: From the Beginning to About 200 ce, Lund University. Lund, October 14-17 2001.

• “From Integration to Alienation: Archaeology as Text and the Analysis of Early Diaspora Judaism.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of Collegium Biblicum, Copenhagen University. Copenhagen, January 2002.

• Response to paper by Agnes Choi, “The Travelling peasant and Urban-Rural Relations in Roman Galilee.” Presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. London, ON, May 2005.

• “From Where to What? Common Judaism, Pharisees, and the Changing Socio-Religious Location of the Matthean Community.” Paper presented at the Calgary Conference in honour of E.P. Sanders: Common Judaism Explored. Second Temple Judaism in Context. Calgary, May 16-17, 2005.

• “Re-thinking the ‘Parting of the Ways Between Judaism and Christianity’: The Case of Matthew.” Paper presented at Lund University. Sweden, June 8, 2005.

• “Reading Torah or Offering Sacrifices? On Worshipping the God of Israel in the Diaspora.” Paper presented at a joint colloquium on Hellenistic Judaism by the Department of Religious Studies and the Classics Department, McMaster University. Hamilton, September 27, 2005.

• Presentation/discussion of Susan Haber’s study “Going up to Jerusalem: Purity, Pilgrimage, and the Historical Jesus.” Paper presented/discussed at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. Toronto, May 2006.

• Runesson, Anders. “Disaster, Sin, and Salvation: The Politics of Text in Matthean Community Building.” Paper presented at Mark and Matthew. Texts and Contexts I: The First Gospels in the First Century Settings. An International Conference at Aarhus University, Denmark, July 25-26, 2008. Conveners: Eve-Marie Becker and Anders Runesson.

• Runesson, Anders. “Aspects of Ethnicity, Politics, and Gender in Early Christian Theology and Mission.” A Response to paper by Paul Trebilco, “’Global’ and ‘Local’ in the New Testament and in Earliest Christianity.” Response presented at the SNTS conference, Seminar 15 History and Theology of Mission in the New Testament: Global Challenges and Opportunities. Lund, July 29 - August 2, 2008.

• Runesson, Anders. “Was there a Christian Mission Before the Fourth Century? Problematizing Common Ideas About Early Christianity and the Origins of Modern Mission.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the SNTS, Seminar 12 History and Theology of Mission in the New Testament: Global Challenges and Opportunities. Vienna, August 4 - 8, 2009.

• Runesson, Anders. “Judging the Theological Tree by its Fruit: The Use of the Gospels of Mark and Matthew in Official Church Documents on Jewish – Christian Relations” Paper presented at Mark and Matthew. Texts and Contexts II: Hermeneutics, Reception History, Theology. An International Conference at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, November 17-18, 2009. Conveners: Eve-Marie Becker and Anders Runesson.

• Runesson, Anders. "The Mattheans: Radical Pharisees in Post-War Galilee?" Paper presented at the Research Seminar Reading the New Testament as Second Temple Jewish Literature.Hebrew University (Department of Comparative Religion and L'École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem ), Jerusalem May 26, 2010.
  

• Runesson, Anders. “Kunskap, dårskap och intighet i nytestamentlig frälsningsteologi” [“Knowledge, Madness, and Nothingness in New Testament Theologies of Salvation”]. Paper presented at the 8th Nordic Patristic Conference Sôteria och Gnôsis - frälsning och kunskap i den tidiga kyrkan [Soteria and Gnosis – Salvation and Knowledge in the Early Church. Lund University. Lund, Sweden, August 18-21, 2010.

• Runesson, Anders. “Giving Birth to Jesus in the Late First Century: Matthew as Midwife in the Context of Colonisation.” Paper to be presented at Infancy Gospels: Stories and Identities. An International Conference at the University of Lausanne. Lausanne, Switzerland, September 30 - October 2, 2010. Conveners: Claire Clivaz and Sabrina Onowlocki-Meister.
  
  

b) Contributed

• “The Origins of the Synagogue: A Socio-Historical Study” and “The Synagogue at Ostia: The Building and Its History From the First to the Fifth Century.” Posters presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Denver, November, 2001.

• “The Origins of the Synagogue in Past and Present Research: Some Comments on Definitions, Theories, and Sources.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Toronto, November 2002.

• “Divine Judgment in the First Gospel and the Religio-Ethnic Identity of the Matthean Community.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. San Antonio, TX, November 2004.

• “Architecture, Conflict, and Identity Formation: Jews and Christians in Capernaum From the 1st to the 6th Century.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Philadelphia, November 2005.

• “Re-Thinking the ’Parting(s) of the Ways Between Judaism and Christianity’: Categories, Terminology, Procedure.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Philadelphia, November 2005.
• Runesson, Anders. "The Good, the Bad, and the Proselyte: Divine Judgement and 'the Other' in the Gospel of Matthew." Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, November 2010.
• Runesson, Anders. "Paul and Jewish Christianity: Terminological and Conceptual Issues." Paper to be presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, November 2010.

 

c) Guest Lectures

• “The Origins of the Synagogue,” Guest Lecture at Dharmaram College, Bangalore India, February 2003.

• “Praktisk sanning och svenskkyrklig religionsteologi” (“Praxis-oriented Definitions of Truth and the Theology of Religions of the Church of Sweden”), given at the Swedish Theological Institute, Jerusalem, May 2003.

• "The Sermon on the Mount in Theory and Practice”, guest lecture in Theory and Practice of Non-Violence, McMaster

1.     “The Eucharist in the Bible,” lecture and seminar for seminary students in the Swedish dioceses of Härnösand and Luleå. November 1995.

2.      ”Gud, Bibeln och Kyrkan: Kan kvinnor vara präster?” (“God, Bible, and Church: Should Women be Ordained?”). A theological defence for women as ministers in the Church of Sweden, held for ministry students in Lund and Uppsala. Spring 1996.

3.     ”Ett ljus för folken: Gemensamma utgångspunkter och möjligheter för judar och kristna?” (“A Light to the Nations: Common Points of Departure and Opportunities for Jews and Christians?”). Lecture at the International Council of Christians and Jews, local meeting in Lund.September 1996.

4.     ”Blev Gud man eller människa?” (“Was God made Man or Human?”) Public panel discussion on gender- and culture related conceptions of God, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Lund, Sweden. Other members of the panel: Dr. Anette Munga, Dr. Madeleine Tönnis, Prof. Birger Olsson (Chair). November 1996. Also held as lecture for candidates for ministry, Church of Sweden (Växjö stiftsgrupp), Lund. April 1997.

5.     “Parables and their Meaning in the New Testament and in Rabbinic Literature.” Lecture at the International Council of Christians and Jews, local meeting in Lund. Lund, Sweden, May 1997, and on other occasions. Together with Dr. Karin Zetterholm.

6.     “On the New Testament and Religious Dialogue,” public lecture at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University, Sweden, November 1997. (Also held at other occasions, for ministers in the Church of Sweden.)

7.     “Strategies against anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism,” Lecture at the World Conference on Religion and Peace. Malmö, Sweden, February 1998.

8.     ”Vad är skapelse? Psaltaren och den gammaltestamentliga skapelsesynen” (“What is Creation? Psalms and Old Testament Views on Creation”). Lecture held at a convention for ministers and other employees at Allhelgona Church, Lund.October 1998.

9.     ”Frälsning utan gränser? Om Nya testamentet och religionsdialogen” (Unlimited Salvation? On the New Testament and Religious Dialogue”). Public lecture held at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Lund, as well as at a convention for ministers in Lysvik, Värmland. November 1998.

10.  Responsible, together with, among others, Dr. Karin Zetterholm, for organising the public presentation of the official document of the Church of Sweden on its relation to Judaism and the Jewish people (“Guds vägar: Ett inomkyrkligt samtalsdokument”) in Lund, Sweden. The presentation was set as a panel discussion with myself as moderator. The panel consisted of Bishop Christina Odenberg, Chief Rabbi Morton Narrowe, Prof. Anders Piltz, Dean Anders Svenningsen, and Rector Mats Ekström. The media, including television news, covered the event. February 1999.

11.  “Guds vägar: Ett inomkyrkligt samtalsdokument.” Lecture and seminar on the dialogue document of the Church of Sweden on its relation to Judaism and the Jewish people. Held at the Christian Student Association, Malmö.March 1999.

12.  Member of the panel in a public seminar discussion on the identity of the Church of Sweden organized by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Lund. Other members of the panel were: Bishop Jonas Jonsson, Prof. Eva Hamberg, Prof. Werner Jeanrond, Dr. Lena Petersson. Moderator: Docent Elisabeth Gerle. November 1999.

13.  Represented the Christian part in a trialogue between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A panel discussion: “Rådslag om livet: Öppna kvällar kring angelägna ämnen.” Lund. Moderator: Prof. Jan Hjärpe.November 1999.

14.  “Teologi: Vad är det och vem skall formulera den?” (“Theology: What is it and who has the Authority to Author it?”). Lecture and seminar for ministers in the Church of Sweden, diocese of Härnösand, January 2000 and on other occasions.

15.   “Sanningsfrågan i religionsmötet: Hur kan man som kristen relatera till människor av annan tro?” (“Inter-religious Encounters and the Question of Truth: How may Christians relate to People of Other Faiths?”). Lecture and seminar, arranged by the Church of Sweden, Höör, Sweden, October 2000.

16.  “Bibeln och sanningsfrågan” (“The Bible and the question of Truth”). Lecture held for the student association Veritas, Lund.December 2001.

17.   “Pharisees and Jesus-believers in the First Century: On the Origins of the Synagogue and the Church.” Lecture at the International Council of Christians and Jews, local meeting in Lund. Lund, Sweden, April 2002.

18.   “The Origins of the Synagogue and Jewish/Christian Relations.” The Ben Meyer Memorial Lecture. The Jewish Community Centre, Ancaster ON, June 2, 2004.

19.  “Why are Christians not Jews? Some Thoughts on the Origins of Christianity,” talk at the annual meeting of McMaster Campus Ministries Council, April 2005.

20.   “Is Christianity a Judaism? Understanding Early Jewish/Christian Relations and the So-Called Parting(s) of the Ways Between Judaism and Christianity. Lecture at the Anshe Shalom Synagogue (The Breakfast Club Lecture Series). Hamilton, February 12, 2006.

21.  “Gnosticism, Women, and Leadership in the Early Church.” Lecture responding to recent ideas, represented by novels like Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, on church conspiracies, oppression of women, and non-canonical Christian movements. The Albert Lager Lecture Series, McMaster University. Hamilton, June 28, 2006.

22.  “Is Christianity Anti-Semitic? ‘The Jews’ in the New Testament and in the Church.”Lecture; the Science in the City Public Lecture Series. Hamilton, January 16, 2007.

23.  Runesson, Anders. “Opening the Covenant: The Role of Abraham in Christian Tradition.” Lecture was part of a trialogue in the Westdale United Church Visiting Distinguished Speaker Program Abraham in the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Tradition. Hamilton, April 23, 2008.

24.  Moderator at the 2nd World Religions Conference Hamilton, 2008: Life and Teachings of the Founder of my Religion.” Representatives from Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, First Nations Traditional Spirituality. Dignitaries present included David Christopherson, MP, Paul Miller, MP, Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of the City of Hamilton. November 15, 2008.

25.  “St. Paul’s letter 1 Corinthians 13: 12 in ecumenical perspective.” Lecture and discussion at the September meeting of the Lutheran and Reformed Pastors in Jerusalem, by invitation of Bishop Dr. Munib A. Younan, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. Jerusalem, September 15, 2009.

26. "Judgment and Salvation in the Gospel of Matthew." Lecture and discussion at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Jerusalem, February 10 2010.

27. "Om Jesus och hans uttolkare: En bokscirkel kring Jonas Gardells rekonstruktion av historiens Jesus" ("On Jesus and his Interpreters: a Study Circle on Jonas Gardell's reconstruction of the Historical Jesus"). A joint venture between the Swedish Christian Study Center (Bilda) and the Swedish Congregation at the Swedish Theological Institute, Jerusalem. April 12, 19, 26, 2010.

28. "Myths and Facts about the So-Called Parting of the Ways between Judaism and Christianity in the first Five Centuries." Lecture given at the Swedish Christian Study Center (Bilda), Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem, May 24, 2010.

29. "Jewish-Christian Relations in Antiquity and the Myth of the Parting of the Ways between Judaism and Christianity." Lecture given at Caspari Center, Jerusalem, June 1, 2010.

30. "Synagogues and Synagogal Life in the First Century." Lecture and discussion at Shabbat School Bible Study, Narkis Street, Jerusalem, June 5, 2010.

31. "Religionsmöte och synagogor vid Jesu tid och idag." ("Inter-Religious Encounters and Synagogues in the time of Jesus and Today") Seminar given at the Swedish Theological Institute, Jerusalem, June 13, 2010.

32. "Myths and Facts about the So-Called Parting of the Ways between Judaism and Christianity in the first Five Centuries." Lecture at Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, Jerusalem, July 13, 2010.