Lecture of Prof. Peter Ochs of University of Virginia:“Scriptural Reasoning: Past, Present and Future”

On April 24 2012, Professor Peter Ochs, world famous expert on Judaism and Chair Professor for“Edgar M. Bronfman”of the University of Virginia, visited the School of Liberal Arts with his wife Prof. Vanessa Ochs. Prof. Ochs gave a lecture entitled “Scriptural Reasoning: Past, Present and Future.” Professor Geng Youzhuang, Deputy Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Deputy Director of IPCLC, presided over the lecture. Some teachers and post-graduates of the School of Liberal Arts and other schools attended the lecture.

Professor Ochs is one of the founding members of "Scriptural Reasoning" (SR) movement and the chairman of the Society of International Scriptural Reasoning. In the lecture, he first introduced the past and present of SR movement, analyzed the relations and differences between Scriptural Reasoning and Textual Reasoning. Then he led the teachers and students into a special textual reasoning. After that, he continued to explain the principles and significance of Scriptural Reasoning. He also talked about the possibilities and issues related to Chinese Confucius classics when investigated through the method of Scriptural Reasoning. After the lecture, teachers and students had some active interactions with Prof Ochs. Topics such as “Scriptural Reasoning and interpretation and translation of Chinese and Western classics,” “Issues of Language and Scriptural Reasoning,” “Scriptural Reasoning and Academic Research,” were discussed.

Professor Yang Huilin, Vice President of Renmin University and Deputy Director of IPCLC, has been promoting “Scriptural Reasoning” movement in China. He is the one who first introduced Scriptural Reasoning into the translation and interpretation of ancient Chinese classics. In recent years, Professor Yang Huilin and Professor Geng Youzhuang initiated a series of academic activities and researches related to Scriptural Reasoning of Chinese and western classics at the School of Liberal Arts of RUC, uniting forces from IPCLC, Institute for the Study of Christian Culture, Institute of Sino-Christian Studies and other institutes. Professor Ochs' visit and lecture would help greatly with the promotion of Scriptural Reasoning movement in both western and Chinese context.