LAKELAND, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2005) — FSC’s Department of Religion and Philosophy sponsors its annual Bible Symposium Oct. 27 and 28. The two-day event will be held in the William M. Hollis Seminar Room starting Thursday at 10 a.m. with registration at 9:30 a.m. Thursday’s sessions conclude at 5 p.m., and Friday’s sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Sex, Love and Marriage in Scripture and Tradition.”  The discussion of sexuality in the early Christian church, its place in the Biblical traditions, and current developments in the debates will be led by five religious studies and biblical scholars in the sessions below.

Thursday

10 a.m. -  “It’s All About the Rib”  Dr. James L. Crenshaw, Robert L. Flowers Professor of Old Testament, Duke Divinity School

12:45 p.m. - “Sexuality and the New Testament”  Dr. L. William Countryman, Sherman E. Johnson Professor in Biblical Studies, Church Divinity School of the Pacific

3 p.m. -- “Sex and Politics in the Beginning of Christianity”  Dr. Mary Rose D’Angelo, Associate Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame

Friday

8:30 a.m. --  “Gay and Lesbian Issues in Scripture and Tradition”  Dr. Theodore W. Jennings, Jr., Professor of Biblical and Constructive Theology, Chicago Theological Seminary

11 a.m -- “Current Developments in the Sexuality Debates”  Dr. John J. Carey, Wallace M. Alston Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus Agnes Scott College

Registration fee is $25 ($10 for retired persons).  Students with appropriate ID are admitted free.  Lunch on Thursday will be available in the Hollis Room for $5.  For further information and reservations, contact Beverly Johnson in the religion department at 680-4180 or email: bjohnson@flsouthern.edu.

About Florida Southern College
Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors and by the Princeton Review as a “Best Southeastern College.” Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.