ABOUT ME
I am the John H. Stembler, Jr., Scholar in Residence and Director of Biblical and Theological Education at First Presbyterian Church (Atlanta, GA). In this capacity, I serve as the resident scholar and chief creator of unique learning opportunities and platforms for teaching Bible, history, and theology that bridge the church and the academy.
In addition, I am an adjunct faculty member at Candler School of Theology (Emory University; Atlanta, GA). Previously, I served as visiting assistant professor of New Testament at McAfee School of Theology as a Louisville Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and adjunct professor of New Testament at Payne Theological Seminary (Wilberforce, OH). I have also gained significant experience in competency-based education and curriculum development as the Director of Curriculum Development for Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary (Atlanta, GA) and Senior Learning Architect for iDesign, a company that helps "colleges and universities harness the potential of emerging technologies to design courses and degrees that make an impact, whether they’re fully online, flipped, adaptive, blended or competency-based."
As a New Testament scholar, I approach the study and interpretation of the New Testament with attention to the literary and theological particularities of the New Testament compositions, informed by the larger religious and cultural world out of which early Christianity emerged. I am also interested in the use of the New Testament in contemporary faith communities. My larger research interests include the Epistle to the Hebrews, religious experience in the ancient Mediterranean world, ancient literary and rhetorical theory, and the history of interpretation of the New Testament. My first book, The Function of Sublime Rhetoric in Hebrews: A Study in Hebrews 12:18–29, was published by Mohr Siebeck in 2018 in their series, Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament.
I have gained teaching experience in both seminary and undergraduate settings. For more information on my experience and perspectives on teaching, please see my Teaching Portfolio pages.
In addition, I'm an aspiring reader of fiction and poetry, a confounded (and tired) parent of two great kids, a recovering collegiate athlete, an experimenting cook, and an inconsistent viewer of college sports.
EDUCATION
RESEARCH INTERESTS
The Epistle to the Hebrews
2011–2016
Emory University, Graduate Division of Religion
PhD in New Testament
Religious Experience in Antiquity
The Letters of Paul
New Testament Theology
2008–2011
Princeton Theological Seminary
MDiv
2002–2006
Whitworth University
BA in Religion and Spanish
FELLOWSHIPS
Postdoctoral Fellow:
The Louisville-Institute, 2016–2018, $25,000 each year (plus housing, health benefits, and moving benefits). The Postdoctoral Fellowship is awarded to six individuals each year to support a two-year teaching fellowship in a theological school, while working alongside an academic mentor and a pastoral mentor.
Doctoral Fellow:
The Louisville-Institute, 2013–2015, $4,000 over two years. The Doctoral Fellowship is one of three fellowship programs offered by Louisville-Institute to consider the changing nature of theological education and the intersections of the church and the academy. There were ten fellows selected for the first cohort of which I was a part.
Graduate Fellow:
The Lilly Graduate Fellows Program, 2011–2014, $9,000 over three years. The Lilly Graduate Fellows program is a nationally-competitive fellowship for doctoral students interested in pursuing higher education in a church-related college or university. There were sixteen fellows selected for the fourth cohort of which I was a part.
Program Fellow:
El Pomar Foundation Fellowship in Leadership and Non-Profit Management, 2006–2008. The El Pomar fellowship is a leadership development program for recent college graduates. Assisting with the foundation's programs throughout the state of Colorado, fellows gain training in program management, strategic planning, and grant making.
MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
Member, Society of Biblical Literature
Member, Catholic Biblical Association of America
Minister of Word and Sacrament, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)