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Biblical Texts, Cultures and Receptions

About the Group

The faculty research group Biblical Texts, Cultures and Receptions consists of a group of scholars who all in various ways study the production, transmission, use, and reception of biblical and related texts.

The texts studied by the members of the group include the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, New Testament, apocryphal literature, the Nag Hammadi Codices, rabbinic texts, hagiographies, monastic texts, and the writings of the Church Fathers. Our group embraces theoretical and methodological innovation, including approaches inspired by history, anthropology, literary theory, cognitive science, gender and intersectional studies, reception history, manuscript studies, and old and new philology. We interpret the texts in their original languages and in a variety of historical and socio-cultural settings throughout history, including modern receptions.

Activities

The group meets regularly to discuss papers, research ideas, project proposals and recent trends and turns in our field. It also hosts guest lectures, workshops, conferences, book launches, and open panel discussions. The group is led by Professor Marianne Bjelland Kartzow and consists of researchers working at the Faculty of Theology (PhD Candidates and Postdoctoral Fellows as well as permanent faculty) and a selection of external collaborators. The group is diverse in terms of background, fields of study, materials, theories and methods, but collaborate well and encourage critical, innovative, and ethically engaged research on ancient sources and their complex receptions. Discussions and constructive criticism are integral.

We regularly invite international guest researchers, juniors as well as seniors, and welcome those who invite themselves. The newly started ONTEC-lecture invites one-two international lecturers each semester for ground-breaking and innovative presentations, in the stimulating environment of the renovated library hall at the faculty. The two bi-annual honorary lectures “The Mowinckel lecture” and “The Dahl Lecture” take place in the fall term and the papers are published in the peer-reviewed journal Studia Theologica.

Talent development

We actively work to identify and recruit research talents, in order to foster a new generation of scholars for the disciplines. The faculty’s own research school, sponsored by the Research Council of Norway, Authoritative Texts and their Receptions, originates from and develops research conducted in our group. The group’s faculty members also offer research based teaching and supervision at various study programs at the faculty, or when invited to other universities

Collaboration and Networks

All members of the group are encouraged to be active in international networks and research projects. We are engaged in numerous international publication projects as authors, co-authors, editors, and board members. The group’s members have also been successful in applying for external funding and have received prestigious research support. In a recent international evaluation, the New Testament and early Christian studies part of the group was ranked top score (HUMEVAL).

Local cooperation partners:

The group members are involved in several international networks:

Published Mar. 20, 2017 12:18 PM - Last modified Feb. 29, 2024 3:04 PM

Contact

Participants

Detailed list of participants