Covenant-First Presbyterian Church
717 Elm Street Downtown Cincinnati
Summer Bible Seminar
July 28 through July 31
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Don’t miss this unique opportunity. Join us for an unforgettable seminar led by Dr. Ron Tappy, a leading archaeologist and biblical scholar with over 30 years of experience excavating in Israel. Dr. Tappy is an emeritus Professor of Bible and Archaeology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Director of the Tel Zayit excavation—an important site that sheds light on ancient Israel’s history and its neighbors. His engaging teaching will expand any learner’s knowledge of Jesus by explaining the very real nature of the land of Israel. Dr. Tappy will teach about the family structures and tribal influences on the Old Testament and their impact on how we view Jesus today.
We’re also delighted to welcome Rev. Dr. Andrew Purves as our featured speaker for one evening via livestream. Originally from Edinburgh, Scotland, Dr. Purves is a respected Reformed theologian and longtime professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He’s known for bringing deep theological wisdom with a pastor’s heart. Dr. Purves studied under the renowned theologian Thomas F. Torrance and has shaped the thinking of pastors worldwide through his books, including The Crucifixion of Ministry and Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition. His core message? Ministry belongs to Jesus—ours simply participates in his ongoing work.
​
This Seminar will be informative and interesting for everyone! The Seminar is nightly, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, with two 55-minute sessions each evening, with a 10 minute break between. Dr. Tappy will be here on Monday and Tuesday for the first four sessions. Dr. Purves will be joining us online Wednesday evening and Dr. Turis will conclude the seminar on Thursday evening.
Dr. Ron Tappy
Dr. Ron Tappy is the G. Albert Shoemaker Professor Emeritus at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and former Director of the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology. He is the Project Director and Principal Investigator of The Zeitah Excavations, an archaeological field project at Tel Zayit, Israel. In addition to completing graduate work at the Jerusalem University-College and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Professor Tappy received an MATS degree (summa cum laude) from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and his AM and PhD (with distinction) from Harvard University. His teaching focuses on the life and literature of ancient Israel, Biblical Archaeology, and the history of the ancient Near East, and his comparative method examines ways in which the broader cultural context of biblical Israel shaped both the world of the biblical writers and, by extension, their theological outlook.
Dr. Tappy’s research and publication interests center on the interrelated nature of the cultural, political, and economic history of Iron Age Israel as well as the various cultural groups with whom Israel interacted. He began excavating at various sites in Israel over 40 years ago, and his current fieldwork at Tel Zayit involves the full-scale field exploration of a Late Bronze–Iron Age town in the Shephelah (“lowlands”) region of biblical Judah. During the 2005 season of excavation, his team discovered an inscription incised in stone in the earliest known Hebrew alphabet (see New York Times, Nov. 9, 2005).
Dr. Andrew Purves
Dr. Andrew Purves is a prominent Scottish-born Reformed theologian known for his deep commitment to classical pastoral theology and Christ-centered ministry. After earning degrees in philosophy and theology from the University of Edinburgh and Duke Divinity School and completing his Ph.D. under Thomas F. Torrance, Purves served in pastoral ministry before joining the faculty of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1983, where he taught for over three decades.
The early church fathers, the Reformers, and modern thinkers like Barth and Moltmann profoundly shape Purves’s theology. Central to his teaching is the doctrine of union with Christ, emphasizing that all pastoral ministry flows from the vicarious humanity and ongoing ministry of the risen Jesus. For Purves, effective pastoral care cannot be separated from the person and work of Christ—Jesus remains the true pastor of his people, and ministers are called to serve in his name, not in their own strength.
He is the author of numerous influential books, including Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition, The Crucifixion of Ministry, Reconstructing Pastoral Theology, and The Resurrection of Ministry. His work calls pastors to relinquish personal ambition and embrace a theologically grounded ministry rooted in Christ’s continuing work.
A leading voice in the evangelical renewal of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Purves has shaped generations of students with his clear, Christological vision for ministry. His legacy remains a vital resource for those seeking to recover a deep, historical, and gospel-centered approach to pastoral care.
Dr. Purves’ lifelong passion can be summed up in this refrain: the pastor is not the solution—Jesus is. Ministry is not what we do for God, but what Christ does through us.