Kenneth Schenck (born 1966) is a

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...

scholar whose primary focus has been the

book of Hebrews The Epistle to the Hebrews ( grc, Πρὸς Ἑβραίους, Pros Hebraious, to the Hebrews) is one of the books of the New Testament. The text does not mention the name of its author, but was traditionally attributed to Paul the Apostle. Most ...

, although he has also published on

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

Philo Philo of Alexandria (; grc, Φίλων, Phílōn; he, יְדִידְיָה, Yəḏīḏyāh (Jedediah); ), also called Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt. Philo's deplo ...

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

, and the

in general. His New Testament Survey (Triangle Publishing) has sold over 10,000 copies, and his “brief guide” to Philo (Westminster John Knox) has been translated into Russian, Korean, and Hungarian. He has also written a philosophy textbook. His

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

also engages heavily with issues in

hermeneutics Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. Hermeneutics is more than interpretative principles or methods used when immediate c ...

ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its eschatology, and its leadership. In its early history, one of the ...

, and

on both a popular and scholarly level. He taught philosophy and New Testament at

Indiana Wesleyan University Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is a private evangelical Christian university headquartered in Marion, Indiana, and affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. It is the largest private university in Indiana. The university system includes IWU—Ma ...

for 22 years (1997-2019). During that time he was also Dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University for six years (2009-2015) and Dean of the mostly undergraduate School of Theology and Ministry for three years (2016-2019). Then in 2019 he went to

Houghton College Houghton University is a private Christian liberal arts college in Houghton, New York. Houghton was founded in 1883 by Willard J. Houghton and is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church.

to become Vice President for Planning and Innovation.

Education

Schenck was awarded a PhD degree in 1996 from the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

, England, where he studied under

James D. G. Dunn James Douglas Grant Dunn (21 October 1939 – 26 June 2020), also known as Jimmy Dunn, was a British New Testament scholar, who was for many years the Lightfoot Professor of Divinity in the Department of Theology at the University of Durha ...

, holds an MA degree in Classical Languages and Literature from the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

, an MDiv degree from

Asbury Theological Seminary Asbury Theological Seminary is a Christian Wesleyan seminary in the historical Methodist tradition located in Wilmore, Kentucky. It is the largest seminary of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. It is known for its advocacy of egalitarianism, giving ...

, and an AB degree from

Southern Wesleyan University Southern Wesleyan University is a private Christian university in Central, South Carolina. It was founded in 1906 by what is now the Wesleyan Church. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on ...

. He is an ordained minister in the

Wesleyan Church The Wesleyan Church, also known as the Wesleyan Methodist Church and Wesleyan Holiness Church depending on the region, is a Methodist Christian denomination in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, L ...

since 1991 and a Professor of Bible at

since 1997. He has also taught for the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

and

Scholarship

His work on Hebrews was the first to engage the book extensively from the standpoint of its narrative substructure, and is part of a recent wave that sees the sermon more as a response to the

destruction Destruction may refer to: Concepts * Destruktion, a term from the philosophy of Martin Heidegger * Destructive narcissism, a pathological form of narcissism * Self-destructive behaviour, a widely used phrase that ''conceptualises'' certain kind ...

of the

Jerusalem temple The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusa ...

than a polemic against the Levitical cultus per se.Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews: The Settings of the Sacrifice, Westminster John Knox, 1998. In

, Schenck has argued consistently that the traditionally Protestant approach to Scripture, which places the locus of the Bible's authority solely on the historical meaning, deconstructs itself not only because it leads to an atomization of biblical meaning but also because the Bible itself—the putative authority—does not employ this method.Who Decides What the Bible Means?, CafeTutor Publishing, 1998, and extensively a

The ironic result is a trajectory toward Liberal Christianity, theological liberalism and away from

Christian orthodoxy Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Church ...

, as well as the fragmentation of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

. Schenck maintains that only a balance between the trajectory of the historical meaning and the Spirit-led consensus of Christendom can sustain both orthodox Christian faith and an understanding of the Bible as Christian Scripture.

Publications

*"A New Perspective on Hebrews: Rethinking the Parting of the Ways (Lantham, MD: Lexington, 2019). *"Hebrews: One Book" (Nashville: Seedbed, 2018). *"Our Future: Bible Study on Revelation" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"Our Walk: Bible Study on James" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"The Early Church: Letters to the Body of Christ" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"Our Mission: Bible Study on Acts 13-28" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"Our Foundation: Bible Study on Acts 1-12" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"The Early Church: Reaching the World" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2015). *"A Christian Philosophical Journey" (Marion, IN: Triangle, 2014). *"The Wisdom of Jesus: Bible Study on the Sermon on the Mount" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2014). *"The Witness of Jesus: Bible Study on the Gospel of John (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2014). *"Jesus: Portraits in the Gospels" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2013). *"The Parables of Jesus: Bible Study" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2013). *"The Passion of Jesus: Bible Study on Mark's Passion" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2013). *"Jesus: The Mission" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2013). *"Our Faith: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2012). *"Our Purpose: Ephesians and Colossians" (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2012). *"Paul: Prisoner of Hope" (Prison and Pastoral Letters) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2012). *"Our Righteousness: Romans 1-8" (Soldier of Peace Bible Study) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011) *"Our Relationships: Romans 9-16" (Soldier of Peace Bible Study) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011). *"Paul: Soldier of Peace" (Romans) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011). *"Our Hope: 1 Thessalonians" (Messenger of Grace Bible Study) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2010). *"Our Joy: Philippians" (Messenger of Grace Bible Study) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2010). *"Paul: Messenger of Grace" (Paul's Early Letters) (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2010). *"God Has Spoken: Hebrews’s Theology of the Scriptures," ''The Epistle to the Hebrews and Christian Theology'', Richard Bauckham, Daniel R. Driver, Trevor A. Hart, and Nathan MacDonald, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), 321-36. *"The Unity and Coherence of Scripture," in ''Treasure the Word'', J. Coleson, ed. (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009), 63-75. *''Making Sense of God’s Word'' (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009). *''God’s Plan Fulfilled'' (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2009). *"2 Corinthians 4:13 and the pi/stij Xristou= Debate," '' CBQ'' (2008): 524-37. *''A Brief Guide to Biblical Interpretation'' (Triangle, 2008). *Review of Torrey Seland's, ''Strangers in the Light: Philonic Perspectives on Christian Identity in 1 Peter'' (Leiden: Brill, 2005), published in SPhA 20 (2008): 230-33. *''Cosmology and Eschatology in Hebrews: The Setting of the Sacrifice'' (Cambridge University, 2007). *"The Levitical Cultus and the Partitioning of the Ways in Hebrews," presented at the Jewish Christianity Group at SBL, Fall 2007. *"The Spirit Directed Church," ''The Church That Jesus Builds'' (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007) 151-62. *''1 and 2 Corinthians'', Wesleyan Biblical Commentary Series (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006) (popular commentary for the church). *"God Has Spoken: Hebrews’ Theology of Scripture," presented at the Hebrews and Theology Conference at St. Andrews, July 2006. *"The Table of Inspiration – Interpreting the Bible," in ''Passion, Power, and Purpose: Essays on the Art of Contemporary Preaching'' (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 95-109. *"The Tale of the Shipwreck," presented at the "Formation of Luke-Acts" Section at SBL, Fall 2006. *"An Archaeology of Hebrews Tabernacle Metaphor, "delivered to the Hebrews Consultation of SBL, Fall, 2005. *"Hebrews and Hermeneutics: The State of the Question," delivered to the Hebrews Consultation of SBL, Fall, 2005. *Review of Daniel J. Harrington's ''What Are They Saying about the Letter to the Hebrews?'' (New York: Paulist Press, 1989), published in BTB 36 (2006): 137-38. *''A Brief Guide to Philo'' (Westminster John Knox, 2005). *"Superman: A Popular Culture Messiah," in ''The Gospel According to Superheroes: Religion and Popular Culture'' (New York: Peter Lang, 2005), 33-48. *Review of Wilfried Eisele's, ''Ein unerschütterliches Reich: Die mittelplatonische Umformung des Parusiegedankens im Hebräerbrief'' (BZNW 116; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2003), published in CBQ 67 (2005): 140-41. *"Leben nach dem Tod," delivered to the evangelisch-methodistische Seminar in Reutligen, Germany (2004) *"From Enoch to the Scrolls," delivered Winter 2004 to the Kolloquium für Graduierte, Tübingen, Germany *"From Sirach to the Sadducees," delivered Winter 2004 to the Kolloquium für Graduierte, Tübingen, Germany *''Why Wesleyans Favor Women in Ministry'' (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2004). *''Jesus is Lord: An Introduction to the New Testament'' (Triangle, 2003). *''Understanding the Book of Hebrews'' (Westminster John Knox, 2003). *"Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews: Ronald Williamson’s Study after Thirty Years," ''Studia Philonica Annual'' 14 (2002): 112-35. *"A Celebration of the Enthroned Son: The Catena of Hebrews 1," JBL 120 (2001) 469-485. *"Jesus and Essene Views of the Afterlife: Common Ground between the Historical Jesus and Qumran?"—paper delivered at the International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls at the University of St. Andrews, Summer, 2001 *"''Philo and the Epistle to the Hebrews'': Ronald Williamson’s Study after Thirty Years"—read at SBL Philo of Alexandria Group, Fall ’00 *"Q and the Merging of Jewish Traditions Concerning the Afterlife"—read at SBL Q Section, Fall ’00 *"Whoever Loses their Life Will Find It: Resurrection and the Historical Jesus"—read at SBL Historical Jesus Section, Fall ’99 *"Keeping His Appointment: Creation and Enthronement in the Epistle to the Hebrews," '' JSNT 66'' (1997) 91-117. *"Did Hebrews Know the Book of Wisdom?"—read at British New Testament Conference, Summer ’95

References

External links

*http://kenschenck.blogspot.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Schenk, Ken 1966 births Arminian ministers Arminian theologians Living people Indiana Wesleyan University faculty Asbury Theological Seminary alumni Southern Wesleyan University alumni University of Kentucky alumni University of Notre Dame faculty Hermeneutists Alumni of St John's College, Durham