Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
@libbiesp.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University. Duke PhD. Cradle Episcopalian. Mary Magdalene hijacked my life a few years ago.
Reading James Barker's new book from @ebyrbooks.bsky.social and realizing that in many respects we are saying the same thing: the gospels were influenced by literary multiformity in Greco-Roman and Second Temple Jewish circles (although his perspective is source-critical, and mine is text-critical).
October 24, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Reading James Barker's new book from @ebyrbooks.bsky.social and realizing that in many respects we are saying the same thing: the gospels were influenced by literary multiformity in Greco-Roman and Second Temple Jewish circles (although his perspective is source-critical, and mine is text-critical).
Really lovely day today in Münster, Germany! I came here to present a boatload of new information to scholars at the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung, and gave a few recommendations for updates to the NA29 apparatus. 🤞🏻
October 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Really lovely day today in Münster, Germany! I came here to present a boatload of new information to scholars at the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung, and gave a few recommendations for updates to the NA29 apparatus. 🤞🏻
We're looking forward to hosting Pete Enns from @theb4np.bsky.social Eastern U for the CBA's upcoming regional conference at Villanova in March! Want to join us? The call for papers is here: assets.noviams.com/novi-file-up...
September 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
We're looking forward to hosting Pete Enns from @theb4np.bsky.social Eastern U for the CBA's upcoming regional conference at Villanova in March! Want to join us? The call for papers is here: assets.noviams.com/novi-file-up...
Fascinating new piece by @allykateusz.bsky.social:"of the sixty-one surviving third and fourth-century pieces of art that securely depict one or more sisters at the Raising of Lazarus, fifty-nine depict one sister (96%) while only two depict two sisters (4%)" www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/9/...
Art as Text: When Mary Was Lazarus’s Sole Sister — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
The question of how many sisters were portrayed with Jesus at the Raising of Lazarus in early Christian art has not previously been explored, and interestingly, the hypothesis that Martha was added la...
www.ancientjewreview.com
September 17, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Fascinating new piece by @allykateusz.bsky.social:"of the sixty-one surviving third and fourth-century pieces of art that securely depict one or more sisters at the Raising of Lazarus, fifty-nine depict one sister (96%) while only two depict two sisters (4%)" www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/9/...
What would Jesus do?
Brian Kilmeade endorses euthanizing homeless people: "Involuntary lethal injection, or something. Just kill them."
September 13, 2025 at 6:37 PM
What would Jesus do?
Every once in a while, researching ancient manuscripts can give you a chuckle.
August 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Every once in a while, researching ancient manuscripts can give you a chuckle.
The proposed elimination of U of O's Department of Religion is absolutely tragic. Oregon friends, please consider speaking up! aarweb.org/news/an-appe...
An Appeal from the Department of Religious Studies at University of Oregon - AAR
A Note from the RSN Editor Religion scholars are currently facing numerous challenges, including issues of academic freedom and censorship, diminished budgets, department mergers and closures, job los...
aarweb.org
August 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM
The proposed elimination of U of O's Department of Religion is absolutely tragic. Oregon friends, please consider speaking up! aarweb.org/news/an-appe...
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
NT job opening:
Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) commencing February 2026.
trinity.currentjobs.co/job/lecturer...
Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) commencing February 2026.
trinity.currentjobs.co/job/lecturer...
Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament)
Trinity College Theological School are seeking a passionate Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) on a two year fixed-term contract.
trinity.currentjobs.co
August 15, 2025 at 6:12 PM
NT job opening:
Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) commencing February 2026.
trinity.currentjobs.co/job/lecturer...
Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) commencing February 2026.
trinity.currentjobs.co/job/lecturer...
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
I am delighted to announce the IRCI has 2 job openings in early Christianity (specialisation open, research-focus, early career). Closing date 15 Aug. Contact me with any questions. We hope you'll consider joining our excellent group of scholars!
candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow (Early Christianity) - Vacancy Details
candidate.aurion.cloud
July 3, 2025 at 8:47 AM
I am delighted to announce the IRCI has 2 job openings in early Christianity (specialisation open, research-focus, early career). Closing date 15 Aug. Contact me with any questions. We hope you'll consider joining our excellent group of scholars!
candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
I just noticed that up until the fifth century, every single surviving Greek manuscript of Luke 11:11 preserves a distinct rendition of Jesus's question. Obviously this is due to harmonization with Matthew 7:9-10, but honestly, it's impossible to tell what Luke actually wrote here.
June 29, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I just noticed that up until the fifth century, every single surviving Greek manuscript of Luke 11:11 preserves a distinct rendition of Jesus's question. Obviously this is due to harmonization with Matthew 7:9-10, but honestly, it's impossible to tell what Luke actually wrote here.
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
Assistant Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ. FT/TT. Deadline September 8.
Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
June 23, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Assistant Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ. FT/TT. Deadline September 8.
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
This was so fun and wonderful today! I'm so grateful @libbiesp.bsky.social took the time to teach me and my students about textual variants of Rev 13:18 today. I learned a lot and very much enjoyed hearing Libbie teach. I love it, when you feel the passion people have for their research topics!
June 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This was so fun and wonderful today! I'm so grateful @libbiesp.bsky.social took the time to teach me and my students about textual variants of Rev 13:18 today. I learned a lot and very much enjoyed hearing Libbie teach. I love it, when you feel the passion people have for their research topics!
I will be giving a guest lecture tomorrow at @univie.ac.at about the fascinating variations and interpretations in Revelation 13:18. I've been enjoying digging deeper into this question - thank you so much @eve9445.bsky.social for the invitation to Vienna!
June 16, 2025 at 11:17 AM
I will be giving a guest lecture tomorrow at @univie.ac.at about the fascinating variations and interpretations in Revelation 13:18. I've been enjoying digging deeper into this question - thank you so much @eve9445.bsky.social for the invitation to Vienna!
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
Come learn Coptic an affordable cost! You will learn the basics of how to read and learn the language via a corpus-based approach. Come for the Gospel of Thomas! Stay for the more open access philology!
All learners welcome!
All learners welcome!
Absolutely ecstatic to announce that we here at Religion for Breakfast are offering an online Intro to Coptic class...using the Gospel of Thomas as the primary text! Taught by the amazing scholar of early Christianity Dr. Lydia Bremer-McCollum. Learn more here: www.religiondepartment.com/coptic
Learning Coptic Through the Gospel of Thomas
www.religiondepartment.com
June 13, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Come learn Coptic an affordable cost! You will learn the basics of how to read and learn the language via a corpus-based approach. Come for the Gospel of Thomas! Stay for the more open access philology!
All learners welcome!
All learners welcome!
Reposted by Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer
Absolutely ecstatic to announce that we here at Religion for Breakfast are offering an online Intro to Coptic class...using the Gospel of Thomas as the primary text! Taught by the amazing scholar of early Christianity Dr. Lydia Bremer-McCollum. Learn more here: www.religiondepartment.com/coptic
Learning Coptic Through the Gospel of Thomas
www.religiondepartment.com
June 13, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Absolutely ecstatic to announce that we here at Religion for Breakfast are offering an online Intro to Coptic class...using the Gospel of Thomas as the primary text! Taught by the amazing scholar of early Christianity Dr. Lydia Bremer-McCollum. Learn more here: www.religiondepartment.com/coptic
I'm in Rome for a research trip, and guess who else was here? One of the finest papyrologists alive, Fr. Juan Chapa! (He's the editor of P.Oxy. 5577 and MANY other fascinating Oxyrhynchus papyri) What a treat to get to chat with him
June 7, 2025 at 3:11 PM
I'm in Rome for a research trip, and guess who else was here? One of the finest papyrologists alive, Fr. Juan Chapa! (He's the editor of P.Oxy. 5577 and MANY other fascinating Oxyrhynchus papyri) What a treat to get to chat with him
Funniest "Mary" changed to "Martha" I've seen recently (found in minuscule 742)
May 27, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Funniest "Mary" changed to "Martha" I've seen recently (found in minuscule 742)
Dropped by the British Library today on a layover, and got to see Codex Sinaiticus. 😍 Amazing luck: the page was open to John 20, the scene with Jesus and Mary Magdalene!
May 26, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Dropped by the British Library today on a layover, and got to see Codex Sinaiticus. 😍 Amazing luck: the page was open to John 20, the scene with Jesus and Mary Magdalene!
Villanova's sports and papal accomplishments
May 9, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Villanova's sports and papal accomplishments
Good news from the #SBLAAR2025 Annual Meeting! I'll also be on the panel discussion of Hugh Houghton's new "Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament" (an update of Bruce Metzger's classic). These will both be great sessions - looking forward to seeing all you Bible dorks in Boston in November.
May 4, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Good news from the #SBLAAR2025 Annual Meeting! I'll also be on the panel discussion of Hugh Houghton's new "Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament" (an update of Bruce Metzger's classic). These will both be great sessions - looking forward to seeing all you Bible dorks in Boston in November.
Ok it's the end of the semester, and I am *really* proud of this game we're going to play in class today to help study for the final exam. Props to my husband for finding this awesome Jeopardy website template!
April 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Ok it's the end of the semester, and I am *really* proud of this game we're going to play in class today to help study for the final exam. Props to my husband for finding this awesome Jeopardy website template!
Many thanks to Eliza Griswold and @newyorker.com for this lovely new Easter feature on Mary Magdalene. (Scroll to the end to read about my research...and song lyrics 😆) www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
Mistaking Mary Magdalene
The subject of numerous controversies, she is defined by ambiguity, welcoming outcasts to the Church and provoking more imaginative approaches to faith.
www.newyorker.com
April 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Many thanks to Eliza Griswold and @newyorker.com for this lovely new Easter feature on Mary Magdalene. (Scroll to the end to read about my research...and song lyrics 😆) www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
For those parents out there who have been looking for a decent Children's Bible - check out this wonderful new resource from the Bible for Normal People! (Featuring a contribution from yours truly) www.godsstoriesbook.com
God's Stories
God's Stories as told by God's Children—the illustrated storybook Bible that takes its scholarship as seriously as its storytelling. Brought to you by The Bible for Normal People.
www.godsstoriesbook.com
April 1, 2025 at 1:51 PM
For those parents out there who have been looking for a decent Children's Bible - check out this wonderful new resource from the Bible for Normal People! (Featuring a contribution from yours truly) www.godsstoriesbook.com
Hooray! You can read my new Journal of Early Christian Studies article arguing that we might have a new possible fragment of the Gospel of Mary ;) muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
March 25, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Hooray! You can read my new Journal of Early Christian Studies article arguing that we might have a new possible fragment of the Gospel of Mary ;) muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
Stating the EXTREMELY obvious: "Mars is currently in worse shape than any possible scenario for Earth short of an all-out nuclear war....It makes much more sense to spend money saving the Earth from climate change." 🙄https://religionnews.com/2025/03/10/no-elon-we-should-not-to-go-to-mars/
No, Elon, we should not go to Mars
(RNS) — It makes more sense to spend money saving the Earth from climate change, ecological destruction and international conflicts than it does going to Mars.
religionnews.com
March 12, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Stating the EXTREMELY obvious: "Mars is currently in worse shape than any possible scenario for Earth short of an all-out nuclear war....It makes much more sense to spend money saving the Earth from climate change." 🙄https://religionnews.com/2025/03/10/no-elon-we-should-not-to-go-to-mars/