Amy-Jill Levine at First UMC Madison

Bestselling author and scholar of Christian-Jewish relations

Agenda

Friday, April 17 (Ticketed)

9am-12pm Understanding Jesus and Paul Means Understanding Judaism (Part 1)

12pm-1pm Working Lunch (Moderated Group Discussions)

1pm-4pm Understanding Jesus and Paul Means Understanding Judaism (Part 2)

Saturday, April 18 (Ticketed)

9am-12pm The Parable of the Good Samaritan: Historical Context and Present-Day Implications

12pm-1:30pm Lunch

1:30pm-4pm How Jews and Christians Read the Same Scriptures Differently

Sunday, April 19 (Free)

9:30am-10:30am AJ will preach during the Sunday worship service

11am-12pm AJ's Life Journey

12pm-1pm Lunch

1pm-2pm Parable Analysis: The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

About Amy-Jill Levine

Articulate, insightful, brilliant and wickedly funny—all of those are terms which aptly describe Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, a prominent and prolific scholar of Christian-Jewish relations, early Christianity and feminist Biblical interpretation. A member of an Orthodox synagogue, raised in a Catholic neighborhood, her early fascination with Christianity shaped a lifelong vocation. A childhood encounter with antisemitism led her to explore Christian Scriptures deeply, ultimately becoming one of today’s foremost Jewish scholars of the New Testament.

She holds a PhD from Duke and is the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Hartford International University for Religion and Peace and University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita, Professor of New Testament Studies Emerita, Vanderbilt University. Her leadership and scholarship have earned her positions in major academic societies and multiple honorary doctorates.

Levine’s work challenges Christian misrepresentations of Judaism, offering deeper insight into Jesus as a first-century Jew. Her notable publications include The Misunderstood Jew, Short Stories by Jesus, and the Jewish Annotated New Testament, co-edited with Marc Zvi Brettler. An engaging speaker and teacher, she advocates for interfaith understanding and biblical literacy, encouraging both Jews and Christians to engage their sacred texts and each other with greater curiosity, humility, and respect.