MALIBU, Calif. – Thousands of visitors will flock to Pepperdine University in Malibu between Tuesday, May 3 and Friday, May 6, 2016, to experience the 73rd Pepperdine Bible Lectures. This year’s theme, “Cruciformed: Living in Light of the Jesus Story” invites attendees to discover the powerful story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection over the course of four days, 75 inspiring daily sessions, and more than 300 guest speakers from around the world.
Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2016 featured speakers include:
N.T. Wright, an Anglican bishop and perhaps the leading New Testament scholar in the world, will deliver the keynote address, “The Scandal of the Cross.” Known for “disrupting comfort zones,” Wright will focus on the central Christian message, challenging some basic understandings of the Gospel that are entrenched in Evangelical circles today and inviting all to reimagine biblical concepts like resurrection, justification, and heaven.
Ruby Bridges, a passionate advocate for Christian love and forgiveness, will tell the story of how her steadfast commitment to her faith in times of hatred, injustice, and loss enabled her to love and forgive those who hated her very existence. In 1960, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Bridges became the only African American student to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in the South after courts announced that the school would begin to integrate. Each morning, armed U.S. marshals escorted Bridges to school through angry mobs in opposition of the desegregation ruling.
David Kinnaman is the president and majority owner of the Barna Group, a visionary research and resource company. He is the author of two best-selling books, unChristian and You Lost Me, which focus on the spiritual lives of teens and 20-somethings. Since joining Barna in 1995, Kinnaman has overseen studies, polling the opinions, and perspectives of more than 400,000 individuals. He has designed and analyzed research for the American Bible Society, Columbia House, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army, Sony, World Vision, HarperCollins, and more. Kinnaman will share early results of “The Present & Future of Spiritual Leadership,” a landmark study conducted in partnership with Pepperdine University that examines the state of pastors in the United States.
The full event schedule can be viewed here. On Friday, May 6 select sessions will be available in Spanish and special programs will be available for children and teens. A limited number of housing options are also available for the event.
For those unable to attend the Pepperdine Bible Lectures in Malibu, the seven keynote addresses will available via Livestream during the event.
Pepperdine Bible Lectures 2016 will take place Tuesday, May 3 – Friday, May 6, 2016 at Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90263. To register or to learn more about the event please visit www.pepperdine.edu/biblelectures.
###
