Downey Lectures

Watch the 2024 Downey Lectures Live here:

Lecture 1  - October 16

Lecture 2 - October 17

The Old Testament's Greatest Plot Twist

Speaker: Dr. Jenny Matheny 

Jenny is associate professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Dr. Matheny has taught Biblical and Theological Studies at the undergraduate and graduate level for 12 years. Journeying with students as they seek next steps in life and ministry is one of her greatest joys. In the classroom, Jenny seeks to create a safe space for theological dialogue and equip students to engage in the tough questions of the text (and life!).

Jenny's family has served for over twenty years in ministry, from youth ministry, to church planting, and church revitalization. Jenny has served as associate professor of Old Testament at Nazarene Theological Seminary and Director of the Wynkoop Center for Women in Leadership prior to joining Truett Seminary. She is also continuing editor of the Stone-Campbell Journal and co-chair of the biblical studies unit for the Wesleyan Theological Society. 

Jenny's extensive body of work includes a range of publications, such as:

• Judges 19–21 and Ruth: Canon as a Voice of Answerability. Biblical Interpretation Series. Leiden: Brill, 2022.
• Joshua.  Illustrated Hebrew-English Old Testament Series (GIHEOT) Willmore, KY: GlossaHouse, 2019.
• "The Raging Prophet Jeremiah: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Pathway Forward through Pain." When Psychology Meets the Bible. Eds. Heather McKay and Pieter van der Zwan. Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2023.
• “Tamar and Ruth: Dress as (Mis)communication and Inheritance Preservation.” Ed. Antonios Finitsis. Dress Hermeneutics and the Hebrew Bible: “Let Your Garments Always be Bright.” Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, 724. New York: T and T Clark, 2022.
• “Ruth: Recent Research.” Currents in Biblical Research. UK: Sage Publications (October 2020), vol. 19 (1), 8–35.
  
• J.M. Matheny and J.D. Lyonhart (2020). “The Biblical Narrative of Ruth and The Monstrous Other and the Biblical Narrative of Ruth” Religion and Film. Vol. 24: Issue 2, Article 3.

Schedule

Lecture 1 - October 16 - 7:30 pm

                  Hesed (lovingkindness) through Story 

Chapel - October 17 - 11:15 am 

                  Ruth 1: Lingering in the Margins

Lecture 2 - October 17 - 7:30 pm

                  Hesed (lovingkindness) in Praise and Lament

To see more about the Downey Lectureship as well as to view past lectures visit: https://ambrose.edu/downey-lectureships