WEST DUMMERSTON-Lydia's Friends Inc., the friends-of-the-library organization that supports the Lydia Taft Pratt Library, hosts a presentation by visiting Irish author Peter Keenan Saturday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m. at the library located in the Dummerston Community Center, 150 West St.
Keenan is the author of a trilogy published by Columba Books, including: The Birth of Jesus the Jew: Midrash and the Infancy Gospels, The Death of Jesus the Jew: Midrash in the Shadow of the Holocaust and, most recently, The Resurrection of Jesus the Jew: Midrash and the First Easter.
Born in Dublin, Keenan earned his bachelor of arts from Trinity College in Dublin and taught religious studies and history in England for many years. He served as the secretary to the Committee for Catholic-Jewish relations of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. He has worked at an ecumenical center in the Rhineland and has lectured extensively.
Keenan describes himself as a post-Holocaust Christian.
With reliance on Jewish and Christian scholars, Keenan examines the use of Midrash - the practice of debating and interpreting Biblical text - in the formation of the gospel narratives. With a discerning eye for the history and prevalence of anti-Semitism, Keenan's work demonstrates how it is possible for Christians to retain the central tenets of their faith, while also transforming their understanding of them.
On Oct. 4, Keenan will present reflections titled: "Judas, Midrash, and that Kiss; From Desolation to Hope."
"We are delighted to host Peter Keenan in Dummerston - all the way from Kinsale in County Cork," said Catherine O'Callaghan, president of Lydia's Friends, in a news release. "His books, although grounded in current scholarship, are accessible to the lay reader and bravely raise questions that further the dialogue between Christians and Jews."
For more information, contact the library at 802-258-9878 or dummerstonvtlibary@gmail.com, or O'Callaghan at 802-380-7935.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.