Past Student Theses

Students who successfully complete their studies in the program contribute much to the field of biblical studies and Christian thought. Each graduate and the title of his or her thesis is listed below (abstracts are available for the more recent graduates).

2019

  • Spencer Elliott, "Northern Psalms in Southern Contexts: Defining a Historical Setting for the Psalms of Asaph" (abstract)
  • James Magee, "Cinematic Childhood(s) and Imag(in)ing the Boy Jesus: Adaptations of Luke 2:41-52 in Late Twentieth-Century Film" (abstract)

2018

  • Brian Baucom, "The Relation of Ra 2110, or P. Bodmer XXIV, to Origen's Hexapla: A Study in the Textual History of the Greek Psalter" (abstract)
  • Jonathon Riley, "Reading the Text with its Ancient Audience as a Refinement of Narrative Criticism: The Amnon and Tamar Narrative as a Test Case" (abstract)​

​2017

  • Matthew Hama, "A Critical Edition of Codex 0150 Including Its Textual and Reception History" (abstract)

2016

  • Joshua Matson, "Employing Deuternonomy: An Analysis of the Quotations and Allusions to Deuteronomy in the Dead Sea Scrolls" (abstract)
  • Kyle Parsons, "A Sanctuary in Time: Exploring Genesis 1’s Memory of Creation” (abstract)
  • Scott Reynolds, "The Messiah and Eschatology in the Psalms of Solomon" (abstract)

2015

  • David Herbison, "Reconstructing the Text of the Church: The “Canonical Text” and the Goal of New Testament Textual Criticism” (abstract)
  • Kevin Burrell, "Conceptualizing Historical Periodization in the Apocalypse: The Canonical Shaping of the Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns" (abstract)
  • Hanna Lucas, "Extending the Sight of the Soul:An Analysis of Sacramental Ontology in Theodore of Mopsuestia’s Mystagogical Homilies" (abstract)
  • David Sigrist, "Tracking Changes: A Proposal for a Linguistically Sensitive Schema for Categorizing Textual Variation of Hebrew Bible Texts in Light of Variant Scribal Practices Among the Judaean Desert Psalms Witnesses" (abstract)
  • Spencer Jones, "Syntax in the Septuagint: With Special Reference to Relative Clauses in Greek Numbers” (abstract)
  • Ryan Schroeder, "Memories of Balaam: Translatability of a Religious Specialist in Ancient Israel" (abstract)

2014

  • Joelle Lake, "YHWH, The Ineffable Name: AVOIDANCE, ALTERNATIONS and CIRCUMVENTIONS IN THE NON-BIBLICAL MANUSCRIPTS AT QUMRAN" (abstract)
  • Abel Sitali, "Jewish Monotheism; The Exclusivity of Yahweh in Persian Period Yehud (539-333 BCE)". (abstract)
  • Justin Soderquist, "A New Edition of Codex 1 (016): The Washington Manuscript of the Epistles of Paul." (abstract)
  • James Tucker, "Incorporating Syntax into Theories of Textual Transmission: Preliminary Studies in the Judaean Desert Isaiah Scrolls and Fragments."(abstract)
  • James Hamrick, "No Faithful Oaths: A Comparison of Esau's Speech in Jubilees 37:18-23 with Achilles' Speech in Iliad 22.260-272." (abstract)
  • Kyle Biersdorff, "Translation and Interpretation in the Septuagint Version of the Balaam Account."(abstract)

2013

  • Dan McClellan, "'You Will be Like the Gods': The Conceptualization of Deity in the Hebrew Bible in Cognitive Perspective" (abstract)
  • Jeehoon Kim, "YHWH as Gardener in the OT with Special Reference to Psalm 104" (abstract)
  • Mark Haukaas, Indeed, He is Coming With the Cloud's: A Study of Revelation 1:7-8 as the Multivalent Thematic Statement of the Apocalypse (abstract)
  • Michael Johnson, Assessing the Genre of the Maskil Thanksgiving-Prayer (1QHa XX 7–XXI 39[?]): A New Superscription-Oriented Approach (abstract)
  • Scott Bailey, Reading Genesis 1–36 in Persian Yehud (abstract)
  • Peter Choi, The Exegetical Interpretation of Leviticus 19:1-18 and the Restoration of the Jewish Community in the Post-Exilic Period (abstract)
  • Jeff Spence, Potential Sectarian Variants in Psalm 119 of 11Q5: A Further Investigation in Response to Eugene Ulrich's "The Absence of 'Sectarian Variants' in the Dead Sea Scrolls" (abstract)

2012

  • Justin Long, Give Me a Break: Scribal Segmentation in Two Uncial Manuscripts (abstract)

2011

  • Ki Soo Jung, A Study of Translation Technique in Septuagint Exodus 14:21-15:18 (abstract)
  • Steve Talené, YHWH, The Jealous El of Isa-El (abstract)
  • Tyler Curll, Facienda et Facta: Understanding Augustine's Defence of the Old Testament in his Contra Faustum (abstract)
  • Kyung Baek, The Abrahamic Covenant and the Nations in Matthew: Jesus' Designation as "Son of Abraham" and Mission to "All the Nations" (abstract)
  • Andrew Chae, A Comprehensive Analysis of Textual Variants in the Numbers Dead Sea Scrolls: Unity or Multiplicity of the Hebrew Text (abstract)
  • Ben Parker, A Comprehensive Examination of the Variations of Scribal Practice in the Great Isaiah Scroll (abstract)
  • Matthew Pfiffner, Life in the Realm of the Spirit: Galatians 3:1-14 in its Eschatological Framework(abstract)
  • Anthony Meyer, Textual Traditions in the Temple Scroll (11QT): Discerning Biblical Quotations and Real Variants (abstract)
  • Nathaniel N. Dykstra, It Is Written: An Investigation into the Significance of the (Greek word) Readings in Manuscript 747 of Greek 4 Maccabees (abstract)

2010

  • Ken Brown, Temple Christology in the Gospel of John: Replacement Theology and Jesus as the Self-Revelation of God (abstract)
  • John Screnock, Word Order in the War Scroll (1QM) and its Implications for Interpretation(abstract)
  • Tyler J. Vandergaag, The Role of Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho in the Early Christian Understanding of God's Plan (Oikonomia) (abstract)

2009

  • Daniel (Young Han) Kim, The History of Interpretation of Micah 4:14-5:1: A Ruler from Bethlehem (abstract)
  • Marvin Miller, Shaking Out the Skirt: A Social Vision of Nehemiah Regarding Debt Slavery(abstract)
  • Michael (Kui Chi) Mok, Reading Psalm 93 in the context of Book IV of the Psalter (abstract)
  • Andrew B. Perrin, Between Scripture and Interpretation: Methods of Scribal Intervention and Key Variant Readings in 4QReworked Pentateuch (abstract)
  • John D. Barry, The Resurrected Servant of Isaiah 53:10-12: A Response to Orlinsky and Whybray(abstract)

2008

  • Anthony M. Apodaca, The Mythmaking Strategy of Jesus' Infancy Narrative: A Literary-Comparative Approach to Matthew 1-2 (abstract)
  • Miles A. Custis, The End of the Matter: The Purpose of the Epilogue of Ecclesiastes (abstract)
  • Ted M. Erho, A Reassessment of the Role of 1 Enoch 56:5-8 for the Dating of the Similitudes of Enoch: A Critique of the Historical-Allusional Method and a New Suggestions for Understanding the Text from a Tradition-Historical Perspective (abstract)
  • Chelica Hiltunen, An Examination of the Supposed pre-Samaritan Texts from Qumran(abstract)
  • Jarod Jacobs, A Comprehensive Analysis of the Conjunction Waw in the Biblical Dead Sea Scrolls Variants and Their Implication (abstract)
  • Sonya Kostamo, The Sectional Divisions in 1QIsa-b and the Leningrad Codex: A Comparative Study(abstract)
  • Dylan Morgan, Borrowing Balaam's Blessing: The Appropriation of Tradition in Numbers 22-24(abstract)

2007

  • Frederick S. Tappenden, Peter Remembered: Collective Memory and the Commemoration of Peter in Earliest Christianity (abstract)

2006

  • Nicholas J. Ellis, Hebrews 6:4-6 and Divine Repentance: Is God the Object of anakainizein eiv metanoian? (abstract)
  • Carolyn Finamor, Perception and Being Perceived in 2 Samuel 11: A Narratological Approach(abstract)
  • Glen Stewart, The Identity and Function of the "The Lamb of God" in John 1:19-51

2005

  • Andrea Alvarez, The Restoration of Israel and its Messiah: The History of Interpretation of Isaiah 61:1-2 (abstract)
  • Dohnson Chang, A Study of 4Q491c: The Self-Glorification Hymn (abstract)
  • Shawn Flynn, Uncovering the Silence of Sacred Space: An Examination of Trito-Isaiah's Theology of the Temple With Particular Attention to the Role of the Outsider (abstract)
  • Ryan Korstange, The Septuagint as Textual Witness and Translation: A Re-evaluation(abstract)
  • Dana Ouellette, Driving Out Injustice: A Socio-Economic Interpretation of Mark 11:11-25 in Light of Mark's Listening Audience (abstract)
  • Jake Parslow, Seduction in Eden Traditions (abstract)
  • Ryan Roberts, Textual Variants in the Deuteronomy Dead Sea Scrolls. A Case for Standardization(abstract)

2004

  • Andy Chi Kit Wong, The National Aspect of the Aqedah: Revisiting the Story of the (Near -) Sacrifice of Isaac in Jewish Conceptions

2003

  • Joel Anderson, Intertextuality and the Book of Jonah
  • Jeffry D. Karber, A Literary-Canonical Theology of the Dynastic Oracle in Samuel-Kings(abstract)
  • Sonja Mortenson, The Text and Interpretation of Isaiah 40 in the Dead Sea Scrolls
  • Jayme R. Nelson, The Generic and Theological Significance of 'Why?' and 'How Long?' in the Psalms of Complaint (abstract)
  • Matthew T. Thiessen, The Form and Function of the Song of Moses: Deuteronomy 32.1-43(abstract)
  • Roger Torhjelm, 11QMelchizedek: Liberation, Judgment, & Kingdom

2002

  • Christopher J. Patrick Davis, 4Q382, Elijah and the Dead Sea Scrolls (abstract)
  • Ralph J. Korner, The Prophetic Genre of the Apocalypse in Light of Visionary Literary Devices(abstract)
  • Anthony LeDonne, The Baptist and the Jerusalem Temple Establishment (abstract)
  • Dorothy M. Peters, The Story of the Yahad, An Acceptable Sacrifice Atoning for the Land: The Day of Atonement Reinterpreted (abstract)

2001

  • Joseph Guy Normand Cholette, The History of the Redaction of the Genesis Flood Narrative Reconsidered (abstract)
  • Victor Cornish, Literary Patterns in 1Corinthians 15 (abstract)
  • Jennifer Shepherd, Psalm 91 in 11Q11 The Believer's Cry for Deliverance (abstract)

2000

  • Ian Werrett, John the Baptist and the Dead Sea Scrolls
  • Christopher Young, A Study of the Antichrists of First John 2:18-27 (abstract)

1999

  • Stephen Eric Brown, Matthew 11:2-6 and Luke 7:18-23 in Light of 4Q521 and Other Writings
  • Prince Sorie Conteh, An Investigation into the Meaning of Deisidaimon (Religious) in Paul's Aeropagus Speech in Acts 17
  • Tae Hun Kim, The Huios Theou in Mark 15:39 (abstract)
  • Leigh Gilles Labrecque, Excavating the Foundation of the Messianic Stone Motif Psalm 118:22-23
  • Ian Spaa, The Role of the High Priest in the Bifurcation of Leadership in the Bible and its Related Corpuses

1998

  • Terry Dingman, Investigation of Intermediate State
  • Erich Engler, An Analysis of Jewish Makarisms and Makarism Collections of the Second Jewish Period
  • Segin Sam Park, The Red Heifer Rite in the Dead Sea Scrolls

1997

  • Geoffrey B. Johnson, Jewish Concepts of the Kingdom of God in Late Antiquity
  • Marjorie Ellen Irene Speiser, A Psalm Scroll from Qumran (4QPsf)

1996

  • Jacqueline DeRoo, A Literary Analysis of 4Q525