Educational History
2007 Genesis Medical Center, Davenport IA: Certificate for Clinical Pastoral Education Level 1
2007 Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque IA: Lutheran Year Studies
1997 University of Ottawa, Ottawa Canada: Ph.D. in Religious Studies
Dissertation: Charismatic Patronage and Brokerage – Episcopal Leadership in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch, supervised by Dr. Margaret Y. MacDonald
1993 Carleton University, Ottawa Canada: M.A. in Religion
Thesis: “Not of the Father’s Planting” – Ignatius of Antioch and His Opponents, supervised by Dr. Stephen G. Wilson
1991 Carleton University, Ottawa Canada: B.A. in Religion
Employment History
2020-current Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque IA Adjunct Instructor.
Engaging the NT Narratives; Engaging the NT Letters; Paul's First Letter to Corinth; Texts & Tapestries,; Women in Early Christianity
2011-current St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church, 610 31st St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA, 52403. Pastor
2007-2011 Zion Lutheran Church, 1216 W. 8th Street, Davenport IA 52802. Associate Pastor (½ Time
1998-2011 Augustana College, 639 38th St., Rock Island IL 61201. Associate Professor
New Testament & Christian Origins; Chair – Dept of Religion (2003-2008)
2005 Wartburg Theological Seminary, 333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque IA. Part-Time Instructor
Summer Greek Program
1993-1996 University of Ottawa, 550 Cumberland St., Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada.
Adjunct Professor. Teaching Assistant
Publications
"Purity," The Ancient Mediterranean Social World -- A Sourcebook, edited by Zeba A. Crook (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2020).
"Accessing Divine Knowledge," Early Christian Ritual, edited by Richard E. DeMaris, Jason T. Lamoreaux and Steven C. Muir, (London & New York: Routledge, 2018) 55-72.
"The Interests of the Shrewd Steward and His Interpreters," To Set at Liberty: Essays on Early Christianity and Its Social World in Honor of John H. Elliott, edited by Stephen K. Black (Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2014) 353-368.
"Constructing Identity in the Epistle of Jude," T & T Clark Handbook to Social Identity in the New Testament edited by J. Brian Tucker and Coleman A. Baker, (Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2014) 511-526.
"Social Memory - BTB Readers' Guide," Biblical Theology Bulletin Volume 41, Number 4 (November 2011) 1-12.
“1,2 Corinthians,” Leader and Learner Guides, Books of Faith Series (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2011)
“Chapter 14 – Purity, Dirt, Anomalies and Abominations” in The Social World of the New Testament edited by Dietmar Neufeld and Richard E. DeMaris (Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2010) 207-219.
The Bible’s Importance for the Church Today (Augsburg Fortress, Lutheran Voices Series, April 2009)
Stewards, Prophets, Keepers of the Word: Leadership in the Early Church, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 2006
“The Didache and Social Memory,” Biblical Theology Bulletin 36 (Spring 2006/1) 35-39.
“Ethical Deliberation and the Biblical Text – A Lutheran Contribution to Reading the Bible,” Intersections Volume 22, Spring 2006, pp. 21-25.
“Homosexuality and the Bible – An ELCA Lutheran Scholar’s Perspective” pp. 5-6 in Journal of Theological and Justice Opinion, Volume 1, Issue I, Winter 2004; Churches United of the Quad Cities Area.
Entries for April 24, May 1, 5, 8 in The Minister’s Annual Manual 2004-2005 – Revised Common Lectionary (Inver Grove Heights, MN: Logos Publications Inc., Spring 2004)
“Bishops as Brokers of Heavenly Goods: Ignatius to the Ephesians,” Life and Culture in the Ancient Near East, edited by Richard E. Averbeck, Mark Chavalas, David Weisberg (Bethesda, MD: CDL Press, 2002) 389-398.
“Chapter 5: An Illustration of Historical Inquiry: Histories of Jesus and Mt. 1:1-25,” in Handbook of Early Christianity and the Social Sciences, edited by Anthony J. Blasi, Paul-Andre Turcotte, Jean Duhaime (Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press, 2002) 105-24.
“Bishops as Brokers of Heavenly Goods: Ignatius to the Ephesians,” Proceedings EGL & MWBS 19 (1999) 119-28.
“The Mother of Jesus at Cana: A Social-Science Interpretation of John 2:1-12,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 59:4 (1997) 679-692.
“Lifting the Veil: A Social Science Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16,” Consensus 23:1 (1997) 53-60.
Book Reviews
Bart J. Koet, Edwina Murphy, and Esko Ryakas (eds), Deacons and Diakonia in Early Christianity -- The First Two Centuries, (Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2018) in Review of Biblical Literature.
Werner H. Kelber and Samuel Byrskgo (eds), Jesus in Memory: Traditions in Oral and Scribal Perspectives (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2009) in Biblical Theology Bulletin Volume 41.3 (2011) 171-2.
Marcia J. Bunge, Terence E. Fretheim, and Beverly Roberts Gaventa (eds), The Child in the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008) in Theological Studies 71 (2010) 250.
Tom Thatcher (ed), Jesus, The Voice and the Text – Beyond the Oral and the Written Gospel, (Baylor University Press, 2008) in Biblical Theology Bulletin Volume 39 (2009) 60-61.
Anselm C. Hagedorn, Zeba A. Crook and Eric Stewart (eds.), In Other Words: Essays on Social Science Methods and the New Testament in Honor of Jerome H. Neyrey (Social World of Biblical Antiquity, 2nd Series 1; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2007) in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 70.4 (2008) 882-84.
Neils Christian Hvidt, Christian Prophecy, The Post-Biblical Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2007) in Theological Studies.
Joan Cecelia Campbell, Kinship Relations in the Gospel of John (The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Monograph Series 42; Washington, DC: The Catholic Biblical Association of America, 2007) in Toronto Journal of Theology
Peter J. Scaer, The Lukan Passion and the Praiseworthy Death (New Testament Monographs 10. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2005) in Biblical Theology Bulletin, Nov 37:4 (2007) 191.
Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2004) in Biblical Theology Bulletin, May 37:2 (2007) 84-85.
Kristin de Troyer, Judith A. Herbert, Judith Ann Johnson, Anne-Marie Korte, Wholly Women, Holy Blood: Feminist Critique of Purity and Impurity (Studies in Antiquity and Christianity. Harrisburg, Penn.: Trinity Press International, 2003) in Theological Studies, September 2004, Volume 65:3, pp. 667-8.
David A. deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (InterVarsity, 2000) in Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology Volume 55, Number 4, October 2001:438-440.
Philippa Carter, The Servant-Ethic in the New Testament (Peter Lang, 1997) in Studies in Religion-Sciences Religieuses Volume 29, Number 2/2000:212-213.
Bruce W. Winter, Seek the Welfare of the City – Christians as Benefactors and Patrons (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), in Consensus 22:1 (1996) 119-20.
Conference Papers & Panels
"Making the Sign of the Cross: To Do and to Undo," Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2018, Denver CO.
"Agape in Context," Context Group Annual Meeting 2018, Portland OR.
Response to Richard E. DeMaris, "Ritual Transgression," Context Group Annual Meeting 2017, Jacksonville FL.
Response to Richard E. DeMaris, "Profiling Baptism: Water Ritual In and Outside Earliest Christianity," Context Group Annual Meeting 2016, Portland OR.
"Ritual and Access to Divine Knowledge," Context Group International Meeting 2015, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham UK.
"Accessing Divine Knowledge," Context Group Annual Meeting 2015, Hiawatha IA.
"Constructing Identity in the Epistle of Jude," Context Group Annual Meeting 2013, Toronto.
Response to Ron Roberts, "Shame," Context Group Annual Meeting 2013, Toronto.
"Purity" - Context Group Annual Meeting 2012, Portland, OR.
“BTB Readers’ Guide – Social Memory,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2011, Hiawatha, IA
Response to Dietmar Neufeld, “Mockery, Secrecy, and Mark: Narrative in Real Time,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2011, Hiawatha IA.
Response to Antonios Finitsis, “The ‘Other’ in Early Postexilic Period: The Argument According to Haggai and Zechariah 1-8,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2010, Portland, OR.
“Ingesting Impurity, the Social Body and Its Survival,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2009, New Orleans.
“Ingesting Impurity,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2009, Stella Niagara NY.
“Women and Honor: Honor and Shame Revisited” response to Alicia Batten, “Neither Gold nor Braided Hair…” and Zeba Crook, “Renovating the House that Bruce Built…”, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2008, Boston.
“Ignatius’ Alleged Sense of Unworthiness Re-examined,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2007, Philadelphia.
“Response to Taras Khomych, “If Anyone is Holy…Didache 10.6 in the Light of Halakh,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2007, Washington DC.
“The Interests of the Shrewd Steward and His Interpreters,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2006, Portland, OR.
“The Historical Jesus and General Education Outcomes,” Midwest Regional Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2006, Madison, WI.
“Ideology and Luke 16:1-8 (9-13) – a proposal,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2005, Philadelphia.
“A Social-Science Response to Warren Carter’s Matthew and Empire,” Midwest Regional Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2005, Bourbonnais, IL.
“The Didache and Social Memory”, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2004, San Antonio TX.
“Perpetua’s Visions: Communicating with the Spirit World?” Canadian Society of Patristic Studies Annual Meeting 2002, Toronto.
“Prophecy and Altered States of Consciousness,” Context Group Annual Meeting 2002, Philadelphia.
“Stewards and Stewardship in the New Testament Era,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2000, Nashville.
“Charisma and Church Leadership: Ignatius of Antioch and His Contemporaries,” Midwest Regional Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 2000, Chicago.
“Bishops as Brokers of Heavenly Goods: Ignatius to the Ephesians,” Society of Biblical Literature, Midwest Regional Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 1999, Cinncinnati.
“Ignatius of Antioch’s Personal Unworthiness in Light of Greco-Roman Conventions of Self-Praise,” Canadian Society of Patristic Studies Annual Meeting 1998, Ottawa.
“The Mother of Jesus at Cana: A Social-Science Interpretation of John 2:1-12,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 1995, Philadelphia.
“Hospitality and Power: A Social-Scientific Analysis of the Elder’s Letters,” Canadian Society of Biblical Studies Annual Meeting 1996, Montreal.
“Eschatology and Martyrdom in Ignatius of Antioch,” Canadian Society of Biblical Studies Annual Meeting 1993, Ottawa.
Research Grants
2011 Louisville Institute Grant for Researchers (Grant #2011009): Purity Revisited
2007 Presidential Research Fellowship, Augustana College: Social Science Parallels in the Ancient World in collaboration with Jerome H. Neyrey (retired, Notre Dame University) and Richard L. Rohrbaugh (Lewis and Clark University)
2006 Augustana College, Fund for Faculty Research: Sabbatical Leave Stipend to prepare book proposal for Queen of the Church, Servant of Christ – A Lutheran Critical Traditionalist Hermeneutic
2006 Religion Dept. Augustana College, David E. Nudd Faculty-Student Research Fund to conduct research on how Lutherans read and interpret the Bible
2003 Augustana College, Fund for Faculty Research: Collaborative Research in Early Christian Leadership. Funds to be used to hire a student research assistant to work on Stewards, Prophets, Keepers of the Word.
2000 Augustana College, Fund for New Faculty Research: “Comparative Research in Early Christian Writings and Other Greco-Roman Literature,” to purchase Thesaurus Linguae Graecae and Bible Windows. Both were used in the preparation of “Stewards and Stewardship in the New Testament Era,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, November 18-21, 2000 at Nashville.
1994-1997 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Professional Memberships
2004-2018 Treasurer & Local Arrangements Coordinator, The Context Group
2002-2018 Member, The Context Group
2001-2010 Member, Steering Committee for the Social-Scientific Criticism of the New Testament Section of the Society of Biblical Literature
1993-current Member, Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)