Works in Progress
"Dinah and Culpability" I explore how early readers of the Dinah story in Genesis 34 partitioned blame for what happened, and what that tells us about their concerns.
"Josephus's Ideal(ized) Women" In this work, I look at Josephus's treatment of the Hasmonean and Herodian women, what he wanted them to be, and the idealized literary women he might have been comparing them to. Further, I contrast both the literary women and Josephus's women to the actual woman Babatha as portrayed in her papyri.
"Canon and Empire" A look at the emergence of canon using the lens of post-colonial studies.
"Should Violence be Conceded or Condermned: Contrasting Josephus’ and Mark’s Reaction to Revolt." I examine the nuances between Mark and Josephus and how they understand the Jewish revolt against Rome in 66-70 C.E.
Publications
Review of Matties, Gordon H. Joshua. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2012. Forthcoming in Brethren Life and Thought.
A review of Matties’ commentary on the biblical book of Joshua. Matties works through the text of Joshua looking for a meaning beyond its violence while not ignoring or discounting that same violence.
“Scent in Song: Exploring Scented Symbols in the Song of Songs. ” Conversations with the Biblical World, Volume 31. 2011.
While the Song of Songs uses many poetic symbols throughout its text, there is a consistent use of scent and taste as symbols for sexuality. Many of these symbols are blatantly sexual while others illuminate understanding of more difficult passages. The consistent use of scent and taste for sexual metaphors also provides evidence that the text was composed as
a single unit, even if sections of the text might have been originally composed as separate poems.
"Kami and God/神とゴッド." 一粒の麦 /Grain of Wheat, Volume 2 Number 23. Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan. March 15th 2001.
In this paper, I explore the semantic differences attached by culture and religion to the Japanese term "Kami" and the English term "God." I translated the work into Japanese and presented it in Japanese for classes while studying at Hokusei Gakuen University in Sapporo, Japan.
Presentations
“Scent in Song: An Exploration of Scented Symbols in the Song of Songs.” Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society Annual Meeting, 2011. Winner: Student Paper Prize - Hebrew Bible Section.
"Mourners and Whores: The Women of Lamentations and Lamentations Rabbah." Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society Annual Meeting, March 2014. Winner: Student Paper Prize - Hebrew Bible Section. I look at how the biblical text of Lamentations uses women as symbols and then look at how the rabbis of the midrashic text Lamentations Rabbah evolve these images.
"Dinah and Culpability" I explore how early readers of the Dinah story in Genesis 34 partitioned blame for what happened, and what that tells us about their concerns.
"Josephus's Ideal(ized) Women" In this work, I look at Josephus's treatment of the Hasmonean and Herodian women, what he wanted them to be, and the idealized literary women he might have been comparing them to. Further, I contrast both the literary women and Josephus's women to the actual woman Babatha as portrayed in her papyri.
"Canon and Empire" A look at the emergence of canon using the lens of post-colonial studies.
"Should Violence be Conceded or Condermned: Contrasting Josephus’ and Mark’s Reaction to Revolt." I examine the nuances between Mark and Josephus and how they understand the Jewish revolt against Rome in 66-70 C.E.
Publications
Review of Matties, Gordon H. Joshua. Believers Church Bible Commentary. Harrisonburg, VA: Herald Press, 2012. Forthcoming in Brethren Life and Thought.
A review of Matties’ commentary on the biblical book of Joshua. Matties works through the text of Joshua looking for a meaning beyond its violence while not ignoring or discounting that same violence.
“Scent in Song: Exploring Scented Symbols in the Song of Songs. ” Conversations with the Biblical World, Volume 31. 2011.
While the Song of Songs uses many poetic symbols throughout its text, there is a consistent use of scent and taste as symbols for sexuality. Many of these symbols are blatantly sexual while others illuminate understanding of more difficult passages. The consistent use of scent and taste for sexual metaphors also provides evidence that the text was composed as
a single unit, even if sections of the text might have been originally composed as separate poems.
"Kami and God/神とゴッド." 一粒の麦 /Grain of Wheat, Volume 2 Number 23. Hokusei Gakuen University, Sapporo, Japan. March 15th 2001.
In this paper, I explore the semantic differences attached by culture and religion to the Japanese term "Kami" and the English term "God." I translated the work into Japanese and presented it in Japanese for classes while studying at Hokusei Gakuen University in Sapporo, Japan.
Presentations
“Scent in Song: An Exploration of Scented Symbols in the Song of Songs.” Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society Annual Meeting, 2011. Winner: Student Paper Prize - Hebrew Bible Section.
"Mourners and Whores: The Women of Lamentations and Lamentations Rabbah." Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society Annual Meeting, March 2014. Winner: Student Paper Prize - Hebrew Bible Section. I look at how the biblical text of Lamentations uses women as symbols and then look at how the rabbis of the midrashic text Lamentations Rabbah evolve these images.