Biography
Shelly Matthews holds the ThD from the Harvard Divinity School, the MDiv from Boston University School of Theology, and the BA from the University of North Dakota.
Her recent publications include a co-authored, two-volume feminist commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Liturgical Press, 2021), a subject which she eagerly engages in public lectures and workshops. She is currently working on a book-length feminist guide to early Christian resurrection.
She is the series editor for the SBL Press series Early Christianity and Its Literature; and was the co-founder and inaugural co-chair, with Tat-Siong Benny Liew, of the Society of Biblical Literature program unit on Racism, Pedagogy and Biblical Studies.
Before arriving at Brite in 2011, she was the Dorothy and B.H. Peace Jr., Associate Professor of Religion at Furman University, in Greenville South Carolina, where she taught for 13 years. She is an ordained United Methodist Minister (Dakotas Area Conference).
Degrees:
D.Th., Harvard Divinity School, 1997
M.Div, Boston University School of Theology, 1987
B.A., University of North Dakota, 1984
Courses Taught:
Interpreting the New Testament
The New Testament and Anti-Judaism
The New Testament, Gender and Sexuality
Slavery in the Pauline Churches
Rome and Romans in Luke-Acts
Early Christian Narrative: The Second Century
Exegesis in the Gospels and Acts – Luke
Exegesis in the NT Epistles & Revelation - I CorinthiansExegesis in the NT Epistles & Revelation - Romans
Professional Affiliations:
Society of New Testament Studies
North American Patristics Society
Society of Biblical Literature
Select Publications:
A Feminist Guide to Early Christian Resurrection: Justice, Authority, Presence. Feminist Studies in Sacred Texts Series, Lexington Books. (Work in Progress, Under Contract)
Luke. 2 vols. Wisdom Commentary 43A and 43B. Liturgical Press, 2021.
The Acts of the Apostles: Taming the Tongues of Fire (Phoenix Guides to the New Testament 4) Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2013.
Perfect Martyr: The Stoning of Stephen and the Construction of Christian Identity. Oxford University Press, 2010.
First Converts: Rich Pagan Women and the Rhetoric of Mission in Early Judaism and Christianity. Contraversions: Jews and Other Differences. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.
Violence in the New Testament: Jesus Followers and Other Jews under Empire. New York/London: T & T Clark International, 2005 (Co-edited with E. Leigh Gibson).
Walk in the Ways of Wisdom: Essays in Honor of Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza. Harrisburg/London/New York: Trinity Press International, 2003 (Co-edited with Cynthia Kittredge, Melanie Johnson DeBaufre).