New Books in Biblical Studies

How can impure, earthbound humans gain access to God, who is holy and in heaven? In ancient Israel and much of the ancient world, the answer was obvious: by means of a temple. Tune in as we talk with Nicholas Moore about his recent book, The Open Sanctuary: Access to God and the Heavenly Temple in the New Testament (Baker Academic, 2024), which explores how the heavenly temple emerged as an important theological concept for early Christians. Nicholas Moore is Lecturer in New Testament at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

The First Letter to the Corinthians begins with an admonishment of the church over their internal division and reliance on human wisdom. What exactly occasioned Paul’s advice has perennially troubled New Testament scholars. Many scholars have asserted that Paul disapproved of the Corinthians’ infatuation with rhetoric. Yet careful exegesis of the epistle problematizes this consensus. In Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Corinthians (Eerdmans, 2024), Timothy A. Brookins unsettles common assumptions about the Corinthian conflict in this innovative monograph. His close reading of 1 Corinthians 1–4 presents evidence that the Corinthian problem had roots in Stoicism. The wisdom Paul alludes to is not sophistry, but a Stoic-inspired understanding of natural hierarchy, in which the wise put themselves above believers they considered spiritually underdeveloped. Moreover, Paul’s followers saw themselves as a philosophical school in rivalry with other Christians, engendering divisions in the church. Combining scriptural exegesis and investigation of Greco-Roman philosophical culture, Brookins reconstructs the social sphere of Corinth that Paul addresses in his letter. His masterful analysis provides much needed clarity on the context of a major epistle and on Pauline theology more broadly.Timothy A. Brookins is Professor of Early Christianity at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His research interests include the Pauline epistles and the Greco-Roman philosophical and rhetorical traditions. He is the author of Reading 1 Corinthians: A Literary and Theological Commentary and Ancient Rhetoric and the Style of Paul's Letters.Jonathon Lookadoo is Associate Professor at the Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. While his interests range widely over the world of early Christianity, he is the author of books on the Epistle of Barnabas, Ignatius of Antioch, and the Shepherd of Hermas, including The Christology of Ignatius of Antioch (Cascade, 2023). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

In this engaging discussion, Timothy Bertolet, Director of Theological Education at ABWE International and adjunct professor, explores the profound connections between Christ's sonship and ascension in Hebrews. He shares insights on the significance of obedience, emphasizing Jesus as the embodiment of ideal faithfulness. The conversation delves into Christ's role as the second Adam and high priest, linking Old Testament themes to modern understanding of sonship. Bertolet's passion for biblical studies shines through as he articulates these theological concepts.

Second Temple Judaism is one of the more exciting burgeoning fields in biblical studies. Now, with T&T Clark's two-volume Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism, anyone can have a wealth of knowledge literally at their fingertips. Tune in as we speak with Daniel Gurtner, an editor and contributor to the encyclopedia, as we speak about this outstanding resource!Daniel M. Gurtner is Professor of New Testament Studies at Gateway Seminary in Ontario, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

While scholars of ancient Mediterranean literature have focused their efforts heavily on explaining why authors would write pseudonymously or anonymously, less time has been spent exploring why an author would write orthonymously (that is, under their own name).The Author in Early Christian Literature (Cambridge UP, 2025) explores how early Christian writers began to care deeply about 'correct' attribution of both Christian and non-Christian literature for their own apologetic purposes, as well as how scholars have overlooked the function that orthonymity plays in some early Christian texts. Orthonymity was not only a decision made by a writer regarding how to attribute one's own writings, but also how to classify other writers' texts based on proper or improper attribution. This Element urges us to examine forms of authorship that are often treated as an unexamined default, as well as to more robustly consider when, how, for whom, and for what purposes an instance of authorial attribution is deemed 'correct.New Books in Late Antiquity is Presented by Ancient Jew ReviewChance Bonar is a postdoc at Tufts University.Michael Motia teaches in the classics and religious studies department at UMass Boston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

One hundred years ago, Gabriel Wells, a New York bookseller, committed a crime against history. He broke up the world’s greatest book, the Gutenberg Bible, and sold it off in individual pages. In 1921, Wells’ audacity scandalized the rare-book world. The Gutenberg was the first substantial book in Europe to have been printed on a printing press. It represented the democratization of knowledge and was the Holy Grail of rare books. In Noble Fragments: The Gripping Story of the Antiquarian Bookseller Who Broke Up a Gutenberg Bible (Scribe, 2024), Michael Visontay describes how Wells’s gamble set off a chain of events that changed his family’s destiny.Interviewee: Michael Visontay is the Commissioning Editor of The Jewish Independent, and has worked as a journalist and senior editor at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.Host: Schneur Zalman Newfield is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Hunter College, City University of New York, and the author of Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Temple University Press). Visit him online at ZalmanNewfield.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

Sejong Chun, a visiting professor of the New Testament at Yonsei University and senior pastor of New Creation Church in South Korea, shares insights from his book on Paul’s vision of new creation. He explores the significance of new creation in Galatians and its implications for modern community dynamics. Chun also ties Paul’s collection to a transformative economic vision, challenging Roman exploitation. Additionally, he reflects on the experiences of Korean Americans during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, offering a deeper understanding of faith and communal suffering.

Arthur Jan Keefer, an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame and Assistant Minister at The Scots’ Church, dives into the significance of Proverbs 1-9. He explains how these chapters serve as a crucial foundation for interpreting the wisdom found in Proverbs 10-31. The conversation explores the dynamics of wise versus foolish characters, highlights ethical lessons, and discusses how wisdom, divine support, and parental guidance shape character. Keefer’s insights shed light on ancient teachings that remain relevant today.

In this discussion, Luke Woo, an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and author of a new book on Hebrews, dives into the rich themes of eschatology. He highlights the heavenly tabernacle motif, illustrating how Christ’s resurrection allows believers to view themselves as heavenly priests. The conversation touches on the significance of spatial realities in the New Testament, the communal aspects of worship, and how believers can find hope during grief by identifying with Christ in their struggles.

Angela Roskop Erisman, an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Denver, dives deep into the wilderness narratives found in the Pentateuch. She examines their significance in understanding Israel and Judah's historical contexts. Erisman critiques traditional historical methods through genre analysis, revealing the rich literary aspects of stories like Moses drawing water. She also discusses Moses' dual nature as both a manipulative leader and a redemptive figure, reflecting on the critical interplay of leadership and trust in community crises.