Don (Dongshin) Chang, PhD

Affiliate Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
I believe Christian higher education should form both the mind and the heart for faithful service to Christ. In the classroom, I seek to read Scripture carefully and humbly, engage its historical and theological depth with students, and help them grow as thoughtful leaders who serve the church with wisdom, faith, and pastoral sensitivity.

Don (Dongshin) Chang, PhD, is a biblical scholar and pastor whose vocation has been shaped by a lifelong commitment to the Word of God and to the formation of the church for faithful service in God’s kingdom. He received his PhD in Religions and Theology from the University of Manchester under the supervision of Professor George J. Brooke. His research focuses on the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple Judaism, and the interpretation of biblical traditions in early Jewish and Christian literature.

Dr. Chang’s academic work is deeply connected to his pastoral vocation. Having grown up in a pastor’s family in Korea and serving in pastoral ministry for more than sixteen years, he has long sought to integrate rigorous biblical scholarship with the life and mission of the church. His ministry has emphasized preaching, discipleship, and community outreach, reflecting his conviction that faithful interpretation of Scripture should nurture both the spiritual formation of believers and the mission of the church in the world.

He is the author of Phinehas, the Sons of Zadok, and Melchizedek: Priestly Covenant in Late Second Temple Texts (T&T Clark, 2016), and he currently serves as a Fellow of the John William Wevers Institute for Septuagint Studies and a Research Associate of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University. His ongoing scholarship seeks to equip students, church leaders, and the broader Christian community to engage Scripture with intellectual rigour, pastoral wisdom, and humble commitment to the Kingdom of God.

  • PhD in Religions and Theology (University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; 2014)
  • MA in Biblical Studies (with Distinction) (Trinity Western University, Langley, BC, Canada; 2005)
  • MDiv in Theology (Summa Cum Laude) (Sungkyul Christian University, Anyang, South Korea, and Canadian Theological Seminary, Regina, SK, Canada; 2001)
  • BA in Education (Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea; 1998)

Expertise

Dr. Chang’s scholarship focuses on the interpretation of biblical texts within the historical and theological contexts of Second Temple Judaism. His research particularly explores the development of covenant theology and priestly traditions in the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and related Jewish literature. By examining texts from the sectarian writings at Qumran, intertestamental traditions, and the New Testament writings, his work seeks to illuminate how early Jewish communities understood covenant identity, priesthood, and divine authority.

Another major area of expertise is the Septuagint and its reception in early Jewish and Christian interpretation. Dr. Chang’s research frequently engages the Greek text of the Old Testament and its influence on the development of theological themes in the New Testament. His current research on 1 Maccabees investigates how Second Temple historical narratives contribute to the theological imagination of covenant, zeal, and priestly legitimacy.

Additionally, through his work in theological education, particularly in programs serving cross-cultural and international students, he seeks to equip pastors and Christian leaders to read Scripture with both scholarly care and pastoral sensitivity, strengthening the church’s capacity for faithful teaching and mission.

  • Fellow, John William Wevers Institute for Septuagint Studies, ACTS Seminaries, Trinity Western University. (2017–Present)
  • Chang, D., & Numada, J. 1 Maccabees: A Handbook on the Greek Text. Under contract with Baylor University Press. (Forthcoming)
  • Chang, D., & Numada, J. Co-authors, SBL Commentary on the Septuagint (SBLCS): 1 Maccabees. (Current Project)
  • Translator, 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) into Korean. (Present)
  • Research Associate, Dead Sea Scrolls Institute, Trinity Western University. (2017–Present)
  • Thesis Project Director, Korean Doctor of Ministry Program, Northwest College & Seminary. (2016–Present)

Awards & Honours

  • The Book of Excellence Award in Theology and Biblical Studies (2018)
  • LG Global Challenger Award ($23,000 USD) (1997)

  • The Chair of the Board of Directors' Award, School of Theology, Sungkyul Christian University (2001)

Recent Publications

  • Chang, D., Hiebert, R. J. V., Numada, J., & Baek, K. S. (Eds.). Themes and Texts: Exodus and Beyond: A Tribute to Larry J. Perkins. T&T Clark. (2024)

  • "The Sojourner in Exodus and Beyond: Theological Conceptualization of Ger in the Old Testament." In R. J. V. Hiebert, J. Numada, D. Chang, & K. S. Baek (Eds.), Themes and Texts: Exodus and Beyond: A Tribute to Larry J. Perkins. T&T Clark. (2024)

  • "Phinehas." In D. M. Gurtner & L. T. Stuckenbruck (Eds.), T&T Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism. T&T Clark. (2019)

  • Phinehas, the Sons of Zadok, and Melchizedek: Priestly Covenant in Late Second Temple Texts. Library of Second Temple Studies. Bloomsbury T&T Clark. (2016)

  • "Jesus as Moses and Aaron: Hebrews' Reading of OT Traditions for the Priestly Christology of the New Covenant Era." Journal of the New Testament Society of Korea, 23, 1115–1141. (2016)

  • "Phinehas Tradition in the Intertestamental Period." Society of Reformed Theology and Practice, 10, 195–229. (2016)

  • "Priestly Covenant in 1QM and 1QSb." In K. Baek, K. Davis, P. Flint, & D. M. Peters (Eds.), The War Scroll: Violence, War and Peace in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature (pp. 147–162). Studies in the Texts of the Desert of Judah. Brill. (2015)

Affiliations & Memberships

  • Committee for a Korean Translation of the Septuagint (2024–Present)
  • Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (2013–Present)
  • The Evangelical Theological Society (2013–Present)
  • Society of Biblical Literature (2007–Present)
  • The New Testament Society of Korea (2007–Present)

  • BIB 505A Biblical Interpretation

  • BIB 520/620A Old Testament Foundation/Theology (Co-teaching)

  • BIB 540/640A New Testament Foundation/Theology

  • BIB 692A Books of Maccabees (Co-teaching)

 

  • BNT 501Q Introductory New Testament Greek I

  • BNT 502Q Introductory New Testament Greek II

  • BNT 601Q New Testament Greek Syntax and Exegesis I

  • BNT 602Q New Testament Greek Syntax and Exegesis II

  • BNT 670A Exposition of Hebrews (Co-teaching)

 

  • BOT 601A Hebrew Old Testament Exegesis I

  • BOT 602A Hebrew Old Testament Exegesis II

  • BOT 670Q Exposition of Isaiah

 

  • RELS 102 Introduction to New Testament Studies

  • RELS 112 New Testament: God, Humanity, World