From Estrangement to Embrace - Paulus De Jong

Abstract
In his Whitley lecture, ‘From Estrangement to Embrace’ Paulus De Jong addresses the urgent need for reconciliation in the increasingly divided and dangerous world of the twenty first century. By investigating familiar texts, he shows that even familiar biblical stories may offer us clues we could easily miss, about the way God acts to initiate reconciliation. Employing the insights born of intertextual readings of Scripture De Jong shows how the authors of the New Testament illuminate their writing with a deep awareness of the narrative arc of Old Testament texts as well as the many specific allusions to them. 

I was surprised by the way he opens familiar texts to show quite how immersed the New Testament writers were in the Hebrew scriptures. Take one example from this lecture, the magi who seek a newborn king by following a star that we all know from Matthew’s gospel. De Jong traces the biblical history of the gifts they offer, gold, frankincense, and myrrh to show how they carry the hope of reconciliation. I was surprised to discover the way Matthew’s text echoes the story of Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers and wondered that I had never noticed this before. De Jong shows how the story conveys a hint and the hope that even the divided descendants of Abraham, the children of Sarah, Hagar and Keturah might be reconciled. 

This lecture is worth reading carefully with a bible open before you, but the lecture does more than open text of scripture. He emphasises that in scripture it is God ‘who was reconciling the world to himself through Jesus Christ’ who acts to initiate reconciliation by offering vivid contemporary examples of this that resonate with the biblical texts he explores. This is a message we need to hear over and over again as we face the challenges of our day, equipping us to practice peace with confidence that in doing so we are sharing in the story of God. 

Paulus de Jong completed his postgraduate studies (MLitt and PhD) at the University of St Andrews, specialising in the Gospel of John. He lectured in Biblical Studies at the Scottish Baptist College (2020-2024) and served as minister at St Andrews Baptist Church (2022–2024). He is currently a lecturer and researcher at the Dutch Baptist Seminary in Amsterdam, while also teaching Biblical Studies at Windesheim (Zwolle) and WTC (Cheltenham). Paulus is married, has three children, and lives in Urk, the Netherlands.

Lecture dates 

February 24: Regent's Park, Oxford
February 25: Bristol Baptist College, Bristol
March 17: Luther King College, Manchester
March 19: Scottish Baptist College, Paisley (also streamed online to St Hild's and Cardiff)

Click here for more about the Whitley lecture