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Symposium | 500 years of Martin Luther’s September Testament 1522
Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

The translation of the Bible into the language of the people was one of the break-through moments in the life of the Christian church.
In this afternoon symposium, theologians from Melbourne and overseas will assess the impact of vernacular translations of the Scriptures. Presenters include: Ashley Null (keynote lecturer), Peter Adam OAM, Rhys Bezzant, Bob Derrenbacker, Katherine Firth, Andreas Loewe, Dorothy Lee FAHA and Andreas Stegmann. Register for this free event here.
Speakers
The Revd Canon Dr Peter Adam OAM, Emeritus Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral, is a former Vicar of St Jude’s, and Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne.
The Revd Canon Dr Rhys Bezzant FRHistS is Dean of the Anglican Institute at Ridley College, and Senior Lecturer in Church History. His research interests focus on Christianity in America. He has recently published Edwards the Mentor (OUP) and is presently translating a biography of St Francis of Assisi from German (YUP).
The Revd Canon Associate Professor Bob Derrenbacker is Dean of Trinity College Theological School, and Frank Woods Associate Professor in New Testament, The University of Divinity.
Dr Katherine Firth is a poet, author and translator. She manages the academic programs at International House, the University of Melbourne, Her latest book, Martin Luther and the Arts (Brill), co-authored with Andreas Loewe, will be published later this year.
The Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe FRHistS is Dean of Melbourne and a Fellow and Lecturer at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne, with publications on the Lutheran, Henrician and Catholic Reformations and the theology of the music of JS Bach.
The Revd Canon Professor Dorothy Lee FAHA is Stewart Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity College Theological School, the University of Divinity.
The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null FRHistS, FSA is Visiting Fellow in Cranmer Research at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, and Canon Theologian of St Mark’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral, Alexandria, Egypt, as well as the Episcopal Diocese of Western Kansas.
Dr Andreas Stegmann is Lecturer (Privatdozent) in church history at the at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. His research interests lie in Lutheran church history, with an emphasis on Wittenberg, Berlin and Brandenburg, and story of the German church under the Nazi regime and during communism.
Program
12.00pm – Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country, The Dean
12.10pm – Keynote Address ‘The Power of Words: The Bibles of Luther and Cranmer and the emergence of an English Liturgy’, The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null FRHistS, FSA
1.00pm – ‘The Septuagint: the Vernacular Greek Bible’ | The Revd Canon Prof. Dorothy Lee FAHA
1.30pm – A brief history of the translation of the Bible into the Indigenous languages of Australia’ | The Revd Canon Dr Peter Adam OAM
2.00pm – ‘Luther as Translator | Translating Luther’ | Dr Katherine Firth
2.30pm – ‘Looking folks in the gob: Luther’s hymns’ | The Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe FRHistS
3.00pm – ‘Books and Readers in Post-Gutenberg Christianity’ | The Revd Canon A/Prof. Derrenbacker
3.30pm – ‘The impact of Luther’s 1522 Bible translation’ | Dr Andreas Stegmann
4.00pm – ‘The Geneva Bible of 1560 and its Contribution to Transatlantic Civilisation’ | The Revd Canon Dr Rhys Bezzant FRHistS
4.30pm – Conclusion and Thanks, The Dean
4.45pm – Afternoon Tea
Breaks will be provided throughout the program