Research
My research interests moves within what is traditionally divided into three disciplines: New Testament Studies, Hebrew Bible, and Jewish Studies. I focus on the Jesus movement and the texts it produced, using a variety of methods and tools to find answers to my mostly socio-historically oriented questions. Locating my research within these areas, the time periods covered in my work extend more or less from the Persian period (from the reign of Cyrus 539 bce) up to and including early rabbinic and patristic literature. Within these time periods, in addition to studies on early Jewish and early Christian history (e.g., my Ph.D thesis, 2001), I have specialised in the following fields.
Archaeology and inscriptions. My work here concerns the ancient synagogue, especially the synagogue at Ostia, on which I have published extensively, analyzing its origins and architectural development as well as relating these findings to the social location of the Jews in Roman society (see “Publications,” 1999; 2001; 2002). In connection with these studies, I have also worked with inscriptional evidence for Jewish presence in Ostia. In a co-authored source book on ancient synagogues (in progress; see “Ongoing Projects”), all relevant synagogue inscriptions up to 200 ce are presented. A recent study (2007) evaluates previous archaeological work on the synagogue(s) and church(es) in Capernaum, and, taking into account the larger context of Roman imperialism, traces the development of inter- and intra-religious relations and identity formation in this town over some 500 years. This study connects well with what follows below.
Jewish/Christian relations and early Christian identity formation. Much of my work has touched upon issues relevant for the analysis of Jewish/Christian relations in antiquity, particularly the social, institutional, and political aspects of those relations, which are important for the understanding of the process by which Christianity developed as a religion separate from Judaism. This process, often—and in my opinion inaccurately—called “the parting(s) of the ways between Judaism and Christianity,” is the focus of some recent studies on Matthew and Paul, studies which include extensive discussion of terminology and methodology (2008). I am currently working on a project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and entitled The Judgment of God and the Formation of Christian Identity: Matthew’s Gospel and its Early Reception. This project is an attempt to understand how and in which socio-religious contexts early Christian identity formation took place as well as which social, political and hermeneutical mechanisms were part of, or controlled, the process (see also “Current Projects”). The project covers the period from the first to the third century and also addresses the question of the origins and development of Christian anti-Judaism.
Methodology and Epistemology. I have published shorter studies reflecting on epistemology and methodology, mostly as part of history-of-research related questions. In this category one may list a comprehensive analysis of the history of research on the ancient synagogue (covering 2000 years) in my dissertation (2001); the study on Prof. Anton Fridrichsen and his reconstruction of Jewish life and thought around the first century ce (1999); the discussion of biblical theology, confessionalism, and ‘objectivity’ in dialogue with Frances Watson’s work (1999). An analysis of problematic assumptions and terminology is also found in “Particularistic Judaism and Universalistic Christianity?” (2000).
Archaeology and inscriptions. My work here concerns the ancient synagogue, especially the synagogue at Ostia, on which I have published extensively, analyzing its origins and architectural development as well as relating these findings to the social location of the Jews in Roman society (see “Publications,” 1999; 2001; 2002). In connection with these studies, I have also worked with inscriptional evidence for Jewish presence in Ostia. In a co-authored source book on ancient synagogues (in progress; see “Ongoing Projects”), all relevant synagogue inscriptions up to 200 ce are presented. A recent study (2007) evaluates previous archaeological work on the synagogue(s) and church(es) in Capernaum, and, taking into account the larger context of Roman imperialism, traces the development of inter- and intra-religious relations and identity formation in this town over some 500 years. This study connects well with what follows below.
Jewish/Christian relations and early Christian identity formation. Much of my work has touched upon issues relevant for the analysis of Jewish/Christian relations in antiquity, particularly the social, institutional, and political aspects of those relations, which are important for the understanding of the process by which Christianity developed as a religion separate from Judaism. This process, often—and in my opinion inaccurately—called “the parting(s) of the ways between Judaism and Christianity,” is the focus of some recent studies on Matthew and Paul, studies which include extensive discussion of terminology and methodology (2008). I am currently working on a project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and entitled The Judgment of God and the Formation of Christian Identity: Matthew’s Gospel and its Early Reception. This project is an attempt to understand how and in which socio-religious contexts early Christian identity formation took place as well as which social, political and hermeneutical mechanisms were part of, or controlled, the process (see also “Current Projects”). The project covers the period from the first to the third century and also addresses the question of the origins and development of Christian anti-Judaism.
Methodology and Epistemology. I have published shorter studies reflecting on epistemology and methodology, mostly as part of history-of-research related questions. In this category one may list a comprehensive analysis of the history of research on the ancient synagogue (covering 2000 years) in my dissertation (2001); the study on Prof. Anton Fridrichsen and his reconstruction of Jewish life and thought around the first century ce (1999); the discussion of biblical theology, confessionalism, and ‘objectivity’ in dialogue with Frances Watson’s work (1999). An analysis of problematic assumptions and terminology is also found in “Particularistic Judaism and Universalistic Christianity?” (2000).
