Strawn Appointed to Old Testament Library Editorial Board

Dr. Brent A. Strawn has been appointed to the editorial board of the Old Testament Library commentary series, published by Westminster John Knox Press. Strawn is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Strawn earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He specializes in ancient Near Eastern iconography, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Israelite religion, comparative Semitic philology, legal traditions of the Old Testament, and Old Testament theology.



Strawn, an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, is the author of What Is Stronger Than a Lion? Leonine Image and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East (Fribourg Academic Press and Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2005). He is coeditor of the Common English Bible (2010), several books on biblical theology, and the Dead Sea Scrolls series. He serves on the editorial board of Catholic Biblical Quarterly and has published articles in Revue de Qumran, Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, The Asbury Theological Journal, The Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, Perspectives in Religious Studies, Ugarit-Forschungen, Teaching Theology and Religion, HomileticJournal for Preachers, Journal of Theological Interpretation, Biblica, and Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha.
 


“We’re delighted to have a scholar of Brent’s standing join the OTL Board,” said David M. Dobson, Executive Director of Publishing and Editorial Director for Westminster John Knox Press. “His record of scholarship makes him an ideal candidate to join a board that has included scholars such as James L. Mays, John Bright, Peter R. Ackroyd, and Bernard Anderson, and currently consists of Carol A. Newsom, David L. Petersen, and William P. Brown. We know that Brent will stand strong in that distinguished line.”


“I cannot think of anyone more suited to carry on the legacy of the Old Testament Library series than Brent Strawn,” said Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament at Candler. “His deep commitment to biblical theology, his extensive knowledge of the ancient Near Eastern context of the biblical texts, and his brilliance as an interpreter of the biblical texts to the church make him an ideal person to shape the vision of this series for the future.”

 

“Brent will prove to be an invaluable member of the OTL editorial team,” said William P. Brown. “He is very well-read across the discipline of biblical studies and has made significant contributions in various areas. Creative and judicious, Brent will help move the OTL commentary series forward in serving scholars, pastors, and students.”



“I am absolutely delighted to join the editorial board of the Old Testament Library, which has long distinguished itself as one of the leading commentary series in the world,” Strawn said. “I have admired the OTL and its prestigious editors for many years, and I consider this appointment a high point in my career. I am particularly thrilled to work closely with the other board members, as well as with Westminster John Knox Press, in the days to come.”
 
 

David L. Petersen, Candler’s associate dean of faculty and academic affairs and Franklin N. Parker Professor of Old Testament, will be taking a less active, advisory role on the board after over twenty years of service. He said of Strawn’s appointment: “Brent Strawn brings wonderful scholarly and editorial expertise to the OTL board. We are fortunate that he will help guide the next generation of publications in this distinguished series.”
 
 

The OTL series celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011. Originally conceived to introduce the English-speaking world to the series Das Alte Testament Deutsch (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht), the OTL included translations of renowned biblical scholars such as Walter Eichrodt, Martin Noth, Artur Wieser, and Gerhard von Rad. The vision for the series gradually expanded to include contributions by British and North American scholars, including A. Graeme Auld, Leslie C. Allen, Susan Niditch, Marvin A. Sweeney, Adele Berlin, J. Cheryl Exum, Joseph Blenkinsopp, John J. Collins, Leo G. Perdue, Horst Dietrich Preuss, J. J. M. Roberts, D. S. Russell, Norman Porteous, James L. Mays, Brevard S. Childs, and David L. Petersen.



 To date, fifty-six volumes have been published, many of which are still in print. In 1990, WJK invited James L. Mays, Carol A. Newsom, and David L. Petersen to form a new editorial board. Under their direction, the series was revitalized through the commissioning of twenty-six new volumes. An additional twelve volumes are in preparation, including works by internationally known scholars William P. Brown, Jacquelyn E. Lapsley, Carol A. Newsom, Christl Maier, Brent A. Strawn, Harold Washington, Thomas Römer, and Daniel Smith-Christopher.