Dr. Kathy Ehrensperger Lic.Theol (MA) (Basel), PhD (Wales)

kathy_ehrensperger

Contact Details

School of Theology, Religious Studies and Islamic Studies
Tel: 01570 424 844 (4844)
E-mail: k.ehrensperger@trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk

Location

Sheikh Khalifa Building

Campus

Lampeter Campus

Job Title

Reader in New Testament Studies

Role in the University

  • Lecturing at UG and PG level
  • Supervision
  • Research

Background

  • 2002 PhD  University of Wales, Lampeter, UK
  • 2000-2004 Director of RE of the Reformed Church of the Kanton Baselland, Switzerland.
  • 1987-2004 Pastor of large parish (Team of four) in Binningen-Bottmingen, Switzerlad
  • 1987 Ordination
  • 1986-87 Pastoral Theology year, Basel
  • 1983 Lic.Theol University of Basel (equivalent to MA in Theology)

Member of

  • Member (elected) of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas
  • Member of the Society of Biblical Literature
  • Chair (elected) of SBL Romans Through History and Cultures Group (since 2004)
  • Member of the British New Testament Society (elected Member of the Executive Committee)
  • Member of the Centre of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ, (in residence August-December 06, equivalent to research grant)
  • Member of the European Society of Women in Theological Research

Academic Interests

  • New Testament Language
  • Literature
  • Theology

Areas of Research

  • New Testament in its Context
  • Pauline Studies,
  • Hermeneutics and Interpretation,
  • Diverse Approaches to the New Testament e.g. feminism, Intercultural Interaction
  • Communicaiton in the 1st Century CE

Areas of current PhD Supervision

  • The Resurrection as the Gospel in the Context of the Roman Empire;
  • Still Letting My people Go: Exodus,
  • American Religion and the Unpublished Manuscript of Eli Washington Caruthers;
  • The Charismata in Paul

Publications

Books

  • 2009 Paul and the Dynamics of Power: Communication and Interaction in the Early Christ-Movement. London, New York: T&T Clark, pb
  • 2007 Paul and the Dynamics of Power: Communication and Interaction in the Early Christ-Movement. London, New York: T&T Clark, hb
  • 2004 That We May Be Mutually Encouraged: Feminism and the New Perspective on Paul London,UK, New York: T&T Clark International 
  • 2008 ed. with Ward Holder Reformation Readings of Romans. Romans Through History and Cultures Series vol 8. London, New York: T&T Clark International

Translations

  • 2009 Angelika Reichert,  ‘A Literary Analysis of Rom 7.7-25a’, in Martin Meiser ed., Torah in the Ethics of Paul, forthcoming. Translation from German.
  • 2004 Krister Stendahl, Das Vermächtnis des Paulus- Neues vom Römerbrief Zürich: Theologischer Verlag. Translation (with Wolfgang Stegemann) into German of the book, Final Account: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Minneapolis: Fortress Press 1996.
  • 2003 William S. Campbell, ‘Zwischen Synagoge und Staat: Identität und Konflikt in den paulinischen Gemeinden’,in Gelardini Gabriella ed. „Was“ begegnet sich im religiösen, christlich-jüdischen Dialog? Aktuelle kultur- und religionswissenschaftliche Theorien zur Deutung, Verhältnisbestimmung und Diskursfähigkeit von Religionen. Stuttgart, Berlin: Kohlhammer Verlag, pp.151-170, translation from English.

Chapters in Books and Journal Articles in Print

  • 2008 ‘Reformers in Conversation over Romans – Diversity in Renewal and Continuity’ in  Reformation Readings of Romans. Romans Through History and Cultures Series. Eds. Kathy Ehrensperger and Ward Holder, London, New York: T&T Clark, pp.193-200.
  • 2008 ‘The History and Theory of Feminist Criticism of the New Testament’ in Searching for Meaning: A Practical Guide to New Testament Interpretation. P.Gooder ed.London: SPCK .
  • 2008 ‘The Significance of New Frameworks of Thinking in New Testament Interpretation' in Maya Warrier, Simon Oliver (ed.) Theology and Religious Studies: Methodological Convergence and/or Divergence? London, New York: T&T Clark, pp. 119-128.
  • 2008 ‘Paul and the Authority of Scripture: A Feminist Perception’ in As it is Written: Studying Paul’s Use of Scripture.Eds. Stanley N. Porter and Christopher D. Stanley. Atlanta: SBL, pp. 281-308.
  • 2007 Reading Romans ‘in the Face of the Other’ : Levinas, the Jewish Philosopher meets Paul, the Jewish Apostle, in Reading Romans with Contemporary Philosophers and Theologians vol 7 of the Romans Through History and Cultures series, ed. by David Odell Scott, London, New York: T&T Clark 2007 , pp.115-54.
  • 2005 ‘Paulus und die Gnade.Zu Fragen von Macht, Dominanz und Ermächtigung’  in Kontexte der Schrift. Band 1: Text, Ethik, Judentum und Christentum, Gesellschaft. Festschrift für Ekkehard W. Stegemann, Gabriella Gelardini, ed. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer Verlag, pp.60-73.
 
  • 2005 ‘New Perspectives on Paul but No New Perspectives in  Feminist Theology’  inGender,Tradition, and Romans: Shared Ground, Uncertain Borders,  Cristina Grenholm and Daniel    Patte (eds.), in the “Romans Through History and Cultures Series”, London, New York: T&T Clark, pp. 227-255.
  • 2004 ‘Response: A Subversive Reading of Paul’ in Navigating Romans Through Cultures: Challenging Readings by Charting a New Course. Yeo Khiok-khng ed. London, New York: T&T Clark 2004.
  • 2004 ‘Scriptural Reasoning – the Dynamic that Informed Paul’s Theologizing’ Irish Biblical Studies, 26/1 2004, pp. 32-52. now also by invitation in Journal of Scriptural Reasoning 5/3/2005 http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/journals/ssr.
  • 2003 ‘“Be Imitators of Me as I Am of Christ:” A Hidden Discourse of Power and Domination in Paul?’, Lexington Theological Quarterly, vol 38/4, Winter 2003, pp.241-261.
  • 2002 ‘Let Everyone Be Convinced in His/Her Own Mind: Derrida and the Deconstruction of Paulinism’, SBL Seminar Papers, Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature 2002, pp. 53-73.

 Forthcoming Publications

  •  2011 ‚Modern Readings of Romans – in Light of the New Perspective and Beyond’ in Modern Interpretations of Romans: Tracking Their Hermeneutical/Theological Trajectory , Romans Through History and Cultures vol 10, C. Grenholm and D. Patte, eds. London,New York: T&T Clark
  • 2011 Paul and  Feminism, Oxford Handbook of Pauline Studies, ed. B.Matlock, Oxford: OUP
  • 2010 Reading Paul in Context: Explorations in Identity Formation, Essays in Honour of William S. Campbell. London, New York: T&T Clark, J.B.Tucker, K.Ehrensperger, eds.
  • 2010 ‘Transformed to be Holy – the Identity Forming Dimension of Paul’s Priestly Discourse in Romans’ in  Reading Paul in Context: Explorations in Identity Formation, Essays in Honour of William S. Campbell. London, New York: T&T Clark, J.B.Tucker, K.Ehrensperger, eds.
  • 2010 ‘Current Trends in Historical Jesus Research’, in Paul Badham ed., Verdict on Jesus.London: SPCK.

2010 ‘Striving for Office and the Exercise of Power in the ‘House of God’: Reading 1 Tim 3.1-17 in Light of 1 Cor 4.1’, in The Bible in Academy, Church, and Culture. Festschrift. Alan Sell ed. Eugene, OR: Wipf&Stock 2010.
  • 2010 ‘At the Table: Common Ground Between Paul and the Historical Jesus’ in Charlesworth, J.H. ed.Methodological Approaches to the Historical Jesus. The Second Princeton-Prague Symposium on Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans
  • 2010 ‘…….so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope’ –  What Does Paul Refer to When He refers to ‘the Scriptures’ ?’ in The Function of Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal Writings in Early Judaism and Early Christianity. James H. Charlesworth and Lee M. McDonald eds. London, New York: T & T Clark
  • 2010 ‘Embodied Theology: Vulnerability and Limitation in Paul’s Perception of Leadership’ in   Second Corinthians-Pauline Theology in the Making. R. Bieringer, E.Humphrey ed.Leiden: Brill.
  • 2011 ‚Perspectives on Paul in the 20th Century– A Critical Assessment’ – in From Kant to the New Perspective.D. Patte and C. Grenholm eds., London, New York: T&T Clark
  • 2012 ‚Paul and Feminism’ in Oxford Handbook of Pauline Studies, ed. Barry Matlock, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Review Articles in Print
  • 2009  Common Judaism: the quest for Jewish Identity, JBV 30.1, 79-80.
  • 2005 Reading Paul in the Light of Differing Frameworks of Thinking, Journal of Beliefs and Values 26/3, 317-323.
  • 2004 ‘Companions to Paul – Feminist and Others !’Journal of Beliefs and Values 25/3 pp.357-60
  • 2004 ‘Closing the Gap or Building Bridges ? Pauline Studies and Systematic Theology in conversation’, Journal of Beliefs and Values 25/1, pp.69-73
  • 2003 ‘Narrative Dynamics in Paul’, Journal of Beliefs and Values 24/3 pp.377-80
  • 2003 ‘Paul’s Identity: “a Hebrew of Hebrews” or a Hellenistic Confluence of Ideas ?’ Journal of Beliefs and Values, 24/2 pp. 249-53
  • 2001 'A Future for Feminist Theology?'  Journal of Beliefs and Values Vol 22/1 pp.111-14
  • 1999 ‘Dual Identity – a Real Possibility’ in Journal of Beliefs and Values Vol. 21/1 pp. 121-25

Additional Information

Current Research Projects

  • Inaugural Planning Session in preparation of a New SBL programme unit to start at the SBL Annual Meeting 2012 ‘Intercultural Interaction and Identity Formation in the Pauline Tradition’ as a platform for a collaborative international project (USA, UK, Switzerland, Germany) on identity formation and intercultural interaction (planned research grant application, including PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships);
  • presentation of a paper at the above noted 2010 special session entitled ‘Lost in Translation – Paul as a Broker (diakonos) in Inter-Cultural Communication?’
  • Co –organiser together with theTheologische Fakultät of the University of Basel, of the International Symposium ‚Decisive Meals - Was sich beim Essen entscheidet’, 18./19. February 2011, Castelen, Switzerland, (grant application pending ) resulting in a volume of essays to be published by T&T Clark or Wipf&Stock (under negotiation).
  • Leadership and Power: Pauline perspectives, proposal to SPCK and Baylor 
(shorter version of the monograph Paul and the Dynamics of Power for wider public,
possibly ministry training etc.)
  • Ritual and the Holiness Discourse in the Letter to the Romans, proposal to T&T Clark (shorter monograph)work in progress, planned publication 2011.
  •  ‘Lost in Translation?’ –Paul’s Theologizing at the Crossroads of Cultures (monograph) work in progress, planned publication 2013. 
  • Translation into German of William S. Campbell, Paul and the Creation of Christian Identity. London, New York: T&T Clark 2008, pb, to be published by Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 2011.

Lectures given at Universities and Conferences

  • 2009 ‘Striving for Office and the Exercise of Power in the ‘House of God’: Reading 1 Tim 3.1-17 in Light of 1 Cor 4.1’, invited paper at the SBL Annual Meeting, New Orleans 
  • 2009 ‘…nothing is in itself profane’:  Hospitality and Holiness Discourse in Romans 14’,  Annual Meeting of Society of New Testament Studies, Vienna
  • 2009 ‘…nothing is unclean in itself: Hospitality and Paul’s discussion of koinos and katharos in Romans 14.14 and 14.20’, SBL International Meeting, Rome
  • 2008 ‘Embodied Theology: Vulnerability and Limitation in Paul’s Perception of Leadership’, SBL Annual Meeting Boston
  • 2008 ‘…….so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope’ –  What Does Paul Refer to When He refers to ‘the Scriptures’ ?’, SBL Annual Meeting Boston, MA
  • 2008 ‘At the Table and in the Third Heaven: Religious Experience and Theologizing in Paul’, Religious Experience Seminar Series, TRS University of Wales Lampeter
  • 2007 ‘Feminist Perspectives on Paul’s Reasoning with Scripture’, SBL Annual Meeting San Diego, CA.
  • 2007 ‘Feminist Perspectives on the Pauline Discourse of Power’, Conference of the BNTS Exeter, UK
  • 2007 ‘Weak Apostles but Powerful Leaders ? The Power of Gentleness and Humility’, SBL International Meeting, Vienna
  • 2007 ‘Paul: The First Personal Witness to Jesus’ at The Second Princeton-Prague Symposium on Jesus : Methodological Approaches to the Historical Jesus, Princeton, NJ.
  • 2006 ‘Reading Paul’s ‘Hearing of Faith’  in Concert with Scripture and Feminist Theory’ Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Washington, DC
  • 2006 ‘As I teach everywhere in every church: Paul and the Power of the Teacher’ Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, Edinburgh
  • 2005 ‘Machtdiskurs und Diskurs der Gnade in den paulinischen Briefen’ paper given at the 25. Neutestamentlerinnen Treffen in theESWTR (halbjährliche Konferenz) Würzberg, Germany
  • 2005 ‘Paulus und die Frage der Macht’, Lecture at the Annual Conference of the
Swiss society of feminist theologians, Lucerne
  • 2004 ‘Levinas, the Jewish Philosopher meets Paul, the Jewish Apostle: Reading Romans ‘in the Face of the Other’, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting San Antonio
  • 2004 ‘The Language of Grace in Paul’s Letters - a Call for Subordination ?
A Feminist Approach’, Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting Groningen,NL
  • 2003 ‘Scriptural Reasoning: The Dynamics that Informed Paul’s Theologizing’, British New Testament Conference, University of Birmingham,UK
  • 2003 ‘Be Imitators of Me as I am of Christ: A Hidden Discourse of Power and Domination in Paul ?’ Society of Biblical Literature International Meeting, Cambridge, UK
  • 2003 Graduiertenkolloquium Neues Testament, University of Basel Lecture ‘Derrida and Deconstruction in New Testament Studies’

2002 ‘Let Everyone Be Convinced in His/Her Own Mind: Derrida and the Deconstruction of Paulinsm’. Paper given at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting ‘Romans Through History and Cultures Seminar’, Toronto  
  • 2002 ‘Paul Between Power, Force, and Domination’ Paper given at the Conference of the British New Testament Society in Cambridge
  • 2002 ‘Mutuality and Diversity: Romans 14-15 in a feminist perspective’, Paper given at the Swiss Conference of Feminist Theology in Basel
  • 2002 ‘New Wineskins but Old Wine ?’ Staff-Students Research Seminar University of Wales, Lampeter

2001 ‘Hermeneutical Presuppositions in Feminist Research on Paul’, paper presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting , Denver
  • 2001 'Der Römerbrief – nur für Männer? Aspekte  feministischer Auslegungen' (‘Romans – for Men Only ? Aspects of Feminist Exegesis’) University of Basel, Faculty of Theology, Postgraduate Seminar 
  • 2001 ‘Paul and Politics’ MA Postgraduate Seminar, University of Wales, Lampeter
  • 2000 ‘Social-Scientific and Rhetorical Approaches to Paul’s Letters’ , MA Postgraduate Seminar, University of Wales, Lampeter

Numerous Reviews in the following Journals

  • Journal for the Study of the New Testament
  • Catholic Biblical Quarterly
  • Biblical Interpretation
  • Journal of Beliefs and Values
  • Times Higher Education Expository Times
  • Review of Biblical Literature, Scripture Bulletin & Modern Believing,
  • Reviewer for T&T Clark International.