Beverly Roberts Gaventa

Beverly Roberts Gaventa is Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Baylor University^[1] and Helen H.P. Manson Professor of New Testament Literature and Exegesis Emerita at Princeton Theological Seminary.^[2][3]

Beverly Roberts Gaventa matriculated at: Phillips University, B.A., 1970; Union Theological Seminary, New York City, M.Div., 1973, studying with Raymond E. Brown and J. Louis Martyn;^[4] and Duke University, Ph.D., 1978, with W. D. Davies as her dissertation supervisor.^[5]

Gaventa taught at Baylor University (2013-2021), Princeton Theological Seminary (1992–2013), Columbia Theological Seminary (1987–1992), and Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1976–1987)^[6][1][3]

She was elected president of the Society of Biblical Literature for 2016.^[7] She is an editor-at-large for The Christian Century.^[8] She is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a member of the University Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas.^[3]

• Extraordinary Professor, Stellenbosch University, 2004–2021
• Member, Center of Theological Inquiry, 2000–2001, 2004–2005
• Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Christian Theological Seminary, 2002
• Award of Special Merit, Disciples Theological Digest, 1988 (for Gaventa's book From Darkness to Light, 1986)
• Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa), Kalamazoo College, 1983
• Award for Theological Scholarship and Research, Association of Theological Schools, 1981–82^[1]
• A Festschrift, The Unrelenting God: God's Action In Scripture in 2013, to honor Gaventa.^[9]
• Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies, British Academy, 2020^[10]

• Gaventa, Beverly Roberts (1986). From Darkness to Light: Aspects of Conversion in the New Testament. Minneapolis, MO: Fortress Press.
• ——— (1998). I and II Thessalonians. Interpretation. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
• ——— (1995). Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus. Studies on personalities of the New Testament. Minneapolis, MO & Columbia: Fortress Press & University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9780585342696. OCLC 47008522.
• ——— (2003). The Acts of the Apostles. Abingdon New Testament Commentaries. Nashville, TN: Abingdon.
• ——— (2007). Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
• ——— (2016). When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul. Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
• ———. Romans. New Testament Library. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. - 2024^[11]

• ——— (1982). "′You Will Be My Witnesses′: Aspects of Mission in the Acts of the Apostles". Missiology. 10 (4): 413–425. doi:10.1177/009182968201000403. S2CID 154512062.
• ——— (1982). "The Eschatology of Luke-Acts Revisited". Encounter. 43 (1): 27–42.
• ——— (1983). "The Bible and the New York Times: Ministry in Tension". Lexington Theological Quarterly. 18 (3): 101–106.
• ——— (1983). "′You Proclaim the Lord's Death′: 1 Corinthians 11:26 and Paul's Understanding of Worship". Review & Expositor. 80 (3): 377–387. doi:10.1177/003463738308000307. S2CID 147506611.
• ——— (1985). "′Where Is Boasting?′: Romans 3:27 and Its Contexts". Proceedings. 5: 57–66.
• ——— (1986). "Galatians 1 and 2: Autobiography as Paradigm". Novum Testamentum. 28 (4): 309–326. doi:10.1163/156853686X00255.
• ——— (1986). "To Speak Thy Word with All Boldness: Acts 4:23-31". Faith and Mission. 3 (2): 76–82.
• ——— (1987). "The Rhetoric of Death in the Wisdom of Paul and the Letters of Solomon". In Hoglund, Kenneth G.; Huwiler, Elizabeth F.; Glass, Jonathan T.; Lee, Roger W. (eds.). The Listening Heart: Essays in Wisdom and the Psalms in Honor of Roland E. Murphy. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series. Vol. 58. Sheffield: JSOT Press. pp. 127–145. ISBN 9781850750857. OCLC 613277058.
• ——— (1988). "Toward a Theology of Acts: Reading and Rereading". Interpretation. 42 (2): 146–157. doi:10.1177/002096438804200204. S2CID 170660214.
• ——— (1990). "Apostles as Babes and Nurses in 1 Thessalonians 2:7". In Carroll, John T.; Cosgrove, Charles H.; Johnson, E. Elizabeth (eds.). Faith and History: Essays in Honor of Paul W. Meyer. Atlanta: Scholars Press. pp. 193–207. ISBN 9781597520010. OCLC 827955049.
• ——— (1990). "The Maternity of Paul: An Exegetical Study of Galatians 4:19". In Fortna, Richard T.; Gaventa, Beverly Roberts (eds.). The Conversation Continues: Studies in Paul and John in Honor of J. Louis Martyn. Nashville, TN: Abingdon. pp. 189–201. ISBN 9780687096343. OCLC 499218673.
• ——— (1991). "A Place for Mary in Protestant Preaching". Journal for Preachers. 14 (4): 32–36.
• ——— (1991). "The Singularity of the Gospel: A Reading of Galatians". In Hay, David M. (ed.). Pauline Theology. Vol. 1. Minneapolis, MO: Fortress Press. pp. 147–159.
• ——— (1992). "The Peril of Modernizing Henry Joel Cadbury". In Parsons, Mikael C.; Tyson, Joseph B. (eds.). Cadbury, Knox, and Talbert: American Contributions to the Study of Acts. Biblical Scholarship in North America. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press. pp. 7–26. OCLC 645860152.
• ——— (1993). "A Place for Mary in Protestant Ministry". Word & World. 13 (4): 373–378.
• ——— (1993). "Response to ′The Bible and Human Sexuality′". American Baptist Quarterly. 12 (4): 329–333.
• ——— (1994). "The Discipleship of Extravagance". Princeton Seminary Bulletin. 15 (1): 52–55.
• ——— (1996). "Mother's Milk and Ministry in 1 Corinthians 3". In Lovering, Eugene H.; Sumney, Jerry L. (eds.). Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters: Essays in Honor of Victor Paul Furnish. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 101–113. ISBN 9780687007677. OCLC 493901247.
• ——— (1996). "Our Mother St Paul: Toward the Recovery of a Neglected Theme". Princeton Seminary Bulletin. 17 (1): 29–44.
• ——— (1996). "The Archive of Exegesis: John 21 and the Problem of Narrative Closure". In Culpepper, R. Alan; Black, C. Clifton (eds.). Exploring the Gospel of John: Essays in Honor of D. Moody Smith. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox. pp. 240–252.
• ———; Wilson, Patrick J. (1998). "Preaching as the Re-reading of Scripture". Interpretation. 52 (4): 392–404. doi:10.1177/002096439805200406. S2CID 170912871.
• ——— (1999). "The Economy of Grace: Reflections on 2 Corinthians 8 and 9". In Jones, L. Gregory; Johnson, Robert K.; Wilson, Jonathan R. (eds.). Grace Upon Grace: Essays in Honor of Thomas A. Langford. Nashville, TN: Abingdon. pp. 51–62. ISBN 9780687086092. OCLC 466660837.
• ——— (2000). "Is Galatians Just a ′Guy Thing′: A Theological Reflection". Interpretation. 54 (3): 267–278. doi:10.1177/002096430005400304. S2CID 170789780.
• ——— (2001). "Traditions in Conversation and Collision: Reflections on Multiculturalism in Acts of the Apostles". In Blount, Brian K.; Tisdale, Leonora Tubbs (eds.). Making Room at the Table: An Invitation to Multicultural Worship. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox. pp. 30–41. ISBN 9780664222024. OCLC 900899810.
• ——— (2002). "Witnessing to the Gospel in Acts of the Apostles: Beyond the Conversion or Conversation Dilemma". Word & World. 22 (3): 238–245.
• ——— (2004). "The Cosmic Power of Sin in Paul's Letter to the Romans: Toward a Widescreen Edition". Interpretation. 58 (3): 229–240. doi:10.1177/002096430405800302. S2CID 170170753.
• ——— (2004). "′Nothing Will Be Impossible with God′: Mary as the Mother of Believers". In Braaten, Carl E.; Jensen, Robert W. (eds.). Mary, Mother of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 19–35. ISBN 9780802822666. OCLC 644250818.
• ——— (2004). "Theology and Ecclesiology in the Miletus Speech: Reflections on Content and Context". New Testament Studies. 50 (1): 36–52. doi:10.1017/S0028688504000037. S2CID 170953234.
• ——— (2004). "Initiatives Divine and Human in the Lukan Story World". In Barton, Stephen C.; Stanton, Graham N.; Longenecker, Bruce W. (eds.). The Holy Spirit and Christian Origins: Essays in Honor of James D.G. Dunn. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 79–89. ISBN 9780802828224. OCLC 799197630.
• ——— (2005). "Interpreting the Scriptures Together: Seeking Visible Unity of the Church". Journal of Ecumenical Studies. 43 (3): 309–319.
• ——— (2005). "′Turning the World Upside Down′: A Reflection on the Acts of the Apostles". In Yoder, Christine Roy; O′Connor, Kathleem M.; Johnson, E. Elizabeth; Saunders, Stanley P. (eds.). Shaking Heaven and Earth: Essays in Honor of Walter Brueggemann and Charles B. Cousar. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 105–116. ISBN 9780664227777. OCLC 1025491101.
• ——— (2005). "God Handed Them Over: Reading Romans 1:18-32 Apocalyptically". Australian Biblical Review. 53: 42–53.
• ——— (2005). "′All Generations Will Called Me Blessed′: Mary in Biblical and Ecumenical Perspective". In Levine, Amy-Jill (ed.). A Feminist Companion to Mariology. Feminist Companion to the New Testament and Early Christian Writings. New York: T&T Clark. pp. 121–129. ISBN 9780826466617. OCLC 783314647.
• ——— (2007). "To Glorify God and Enjoy Him Forever: A Place for Joy in Reformed Readings of Scripture". In Alston Jr., Wallace M.; Welker, Michael (eds.). Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity II. Biblical Interpretation in the Reformed Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 107–115. ISBN 9780802803863. OCLC 929507467.
• ——— (2007). "Interpreting the Death of Jesus Apocalyptically: Reconsidering Romans 8:32". In Still, Todd D. (ed.). Jesus and Paul Reconnected: Fresh Pathways into an Old Debate. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 125–145. ISBN 9780802831491. OCLC 155756056.
• ——— (2008). "Interpreting the Scriptures Together: Seeking Visible Unity of the Church". Journal of Ecumenical Studies. 43 (3): 309–319.
• ——— (2008). "Finding a Place for Children in the Letters of Paul". In Gaventa, Beverly Roberts; Bunge, Marcia J.; Fretheim, Terence E. (eds.). The Child in the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 233–248. ISBN 9780802848352. OCLC 717936398.
• ———; Hays, Richard B. (2008). "Seeking the Identity of Jesus". In Gaventa, Beverly Roberts; Hays, Richard B. (eds.). Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 1–24. ISBN 9780802824714. OCLC 213452269.
• ——— (2008). "Learning and Relearning the Identity of Jesus from Luke-Acts". In Gaventa, Beverly Roberts; Hays, Richard B. (eds.). Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 148–165. ISBN 9780802824714. OCLC 213452269.
• ——— (2008). "From Toxic Speech to the Redemption of Doxology in Paul's Letter to the Romans". In Wagner, J. Ross; Rowe, C. Kavin; Grieb, A. Katherine (eds.). The Word Leaps the Gap: Essays on Scripture and Theology in Honor of Richard B. Hays. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 392–408. ISBN 9780802863560. OCLC 845439253.
• ——— (2009). "'To Preach the Gospel′: Romans 1,15 and the Purpose of Romans". In Schnelle, Udo (ed.). The Letter to the Romans. Bibliotheca Ephemeridum Theologicarum Lovaniensium. Vol. 226. Leuven: Peeters. pp. 179–195. ISBN 9789042921993. OCLC 781013280.
• ——— (2010). "On the Calling-into-Being of Israel: Romans 9:6-29". In Wilk, Florian; Wagner, J. Ross (eds.). Between Gospel and Election: Explorations in the Interpretation of Romans 9-11. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament. Vol. 257. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. pp. 255–269. ISBN 9783161505331. OCLC 656604221.
• ——— (2010). "Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Rejoinder". Journal for the Study of the New Testament. 32 (3): 363–370. doi:10.1177/0142064X09357680. S2CID 144381306.
• ——— (2011). "Neither Height nor Depth: Discerning the Cosmology of Romans". Scottish Journal of Theology. 64 (3): 265–278. doi:10.1017/S0036930611000111. S2CID 170470077.
• ——— (2011). "The Mission of God in Paul's Letter to the Romans". In Burke, Trevor J.; Rosner, Brian S. (eds.). Paul as Missionary: Identity, Activity, Theology, and Practice. Library of New Testament Studies. Vol. 420. New York: T&T Clark. pp. 65–75. ISBN 9780567573247. OCLC 910654860.
• ——— (2011). "Reading for the Subject: The Paradox of Power in Romans 14:1-15:6". Journal of Theological Interpretation. 5 (1): 1–11. doi:10.2307/26421349. JSTOR 26421349.
• ——— (2012). "Pentecost and Trinity". Interpretation. 66 (1): 5–15. doi:10.1177/0020964311425307. S2CID 170456212.
• ——— (2013). "The Shape of the 'I': The Psalter, the Gospel, and the Speaker in Romans 7". In Gaventa, Beverly Roberts (ed.). Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8. Waco: Baylor University Press. pp. 77–91. ISBN 9781602589698. OCLC 861780638.
• ——— (2014). "The Character of God's Faithfulness: A Response to N.T. Wright". Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters. 4 (1): 71–79. doi:10.2307/26371726. JSTOR 26371726.
• ——— (2014). "Which Humans? What Response?: A Reflection on Pauline Theology". Ex Auditu. 30: 50–64.
• ——— (2014). "The Outlaw Jesus, the Justice of God, and Paul's Letter to the Romans". Theology Today. 71 (3): 347–351. doi:10.1177/0040573614542385. S2CID 170699341.
• ——— (2015). "A Word of Gratitude". In Byron, John; Lohr, Joel N. (eds.). I (Still) Believe: Leading Bible Scholars Share Their Stories of Faith and Scholarship. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. pp. 83–92. ISBN 9780310515166. OCLC 895728144.
• ——— (2017). "Reading Romans 13 with Simone Weil: Toward a More Generous Hermeneutic". Journal of Biblical Literature. 136 (1): 3–22. doi:10.1353/jbl.2017.0000. S2CID 171861129.

• ———; Fortna, Richard T., eds. (1990). The Conversation Continues: Studies in Paul and John in Honor of J. Louis Martyn. Nashville, TN: Abingdon. ISBN 9780687096343. OCLC 499218673.
• ———; Rigby, Cynthia L., eds. (2002). Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664224387. OCLC 614620640.
• ———; Miller, Patrick D., eds. (2005). The Ending of Mark and the Ends of God: Essays in Memory of Donald Harrisville Juel. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN 9780664227395. OCLC 717029388.
• ———; Bunge, Marcia J.; Fretheim, Terence E., eds. (2008). The Child in the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802848352. OCLC 717936398.
• ———; Hays, Richard B., eds. (2008). Seeking the Identity of Jesus: A Pilgrimage. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ISBN 9780802824714. OCLC 213452269.
• ———; Petersen, David L., eds. (2010). The New Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary. Nashville: Abingdon Press. ISBN 9781426735509. OCLC 891465505.
• ———, ed. (2013). Apocalyptic Paul: Cosmos and Anthropos in Romans 5-8. Waco: Baylor University Press. ISBN 9781602589698. OCLC 861780638.

• 2014, November 6. Beverly Roberts Gaventa | Biblical Studies Online, 28th Carmichael-Walling Lectures at Abilene Christian University. Links to 2 videos:
     "God's Outsized Faithfulness to Israel: Thinking Again about Romans 9-11"
     "Questions about Torah, Answers about Christ: A Strange Silence in Romans 9-11 (esp. Rom 10:4)"
• 2012, March 17. "Beverly Roberts Gaventa 'Listening to Romans with Junia and Her Sisters'", United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities