Ohio professor to give talk on Bible's role in faith

Ashland University announced professor of New Testament Dr. John Byron's annual lecture last week. Dr. Byron's lecture, "Trusting in the Word of God: Is the Bible the Center of our Faith," will focus on the Bible and its role in the Christian faith as the Word of God. It will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26 in the Smetzer Auditorium on the Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS) campus.
As Byron points out in his summary, the Bible has a significant influence on Americans' lives. He will discuss the Bible, Christian faith and the way people become focused on the book rather than on their faith in God.
“A significant majority of Americans own a Bible and consider it to be sacred literature," Byron said in the summary. "From the pews of the church to billboards along the highway, to the presidential inauguration, the Bible’s influence can be observed and experienced at all levels of society. A quick scan of any bookstore will demonstrate that, for some people, the Bible is a book of answers. From theology to science to diets and finances, the Bible is viewed by some to be the source of all knowledge and understanding. Yet, if this is true, why are there so many disputes over what the Bible means? If the Bible is said to be ‘clear’ on any number of topics, why isn’t it always clear to those who are interpreting it?”
Byron currently serves as the interim Academic Dean as well as Professor of New Testament at ATS. His teaching philosophy follows the ATS' emphasis on freedom of thought and expression that are also grounded in a deep commitment to God.
Editor: I also looked at http://seminary.ashland.edu/directory/john-byron