Kristen Herrington Professor of Bible
Office location: Neville Hall 305
Office phone: 864-833-8348
rabryant@presby.edu
B.S., Virginia Tech
M.Div., Union Presbyterian Seminary
Ph.D., Union Presbyterian Seminary
Joined PC faculty in 1998
Courses Taught:
Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Studies in the Synoptic Gospels, Pauline Epistles, Johannine Literature, Hebrews and the General Epistles, Ecology and the Bible, Science and Religion, Women in the Bible, Beginning and Advanced Greek.
Professional Interests:
Professionally, my area of specialization is biblical studies. I work with the Bible’s original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) in the quest to better understand and interpret biblical and other related ancient texts for today. It is a discipline I find infinitely fascinating and important for our time, but as much as I love it, it’s certainly not a field I could have anticipated in high school or early in college. My present areas of research include: Paul’s letters and theology, Gospel Passion Narratives,
Greco-Roman rhetorical and epistolary practices, and interfaith religious pedagogy.
One of the reasons that I enjoy teaching in a liberal arts college is that its broad interdisciplinary approach to learning helps students appreciate life’s interconnectedness even as it helps them discover and develop their passions while strengthening their weaknesses—all in a highly supportive community. Certainly, my favorite thing about teaching and doing research at PC, however, is the people. Our students make learning and teaching a joy, and faculty colleagues make serving together a pleasure. I’m also enthusiastic about the college’s mission as a church-related liberal arts college. Faith and reason find ready traction here for a life of service.
Along with my work at Presbyterian College, I have served as a Visiting Scholar at Duke University, taught at Union Presbyterian Seminary, and been a Visiting Professor at the Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe (Germany) as a German Academic Exchange Fellow. I am also an Adjunct Faculty member for the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies and have been taking students to Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Jordan since 2001. My professional associations include the Society of Biblical Literature, the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion, and the Catholic Biblical Association.
Personal Interests:
Recreational, if it’s outdoors I’m in! Hiking, camping, backpacking, canoeing, bird watching, or just spending time outdoors in most any other activity is always a pleasure, especially with family and friends. I also enjoy woodworking and have been steadily renovating my family’s old bungalow-style home. I’m an avid reader, too, and I love to travel. I find refreshment in playing my guitar and banjo, and my wife and I also enjoy serving in the Clinton community and in others.
Books:
The Risen Crucified Christ in Galatians (The Society of Biblical Literature, 2001); The Gospel of Matthew: God With Us (Kerygma, 2006); First Corinthians: One in Christ (Kerygma, 2010).
Articles and Reviews:
Interpretation, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Lectionary Homiletics, Feasting on the Word Commentary Series, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World, and the Handbook of Biblical Criticism.
Awards:
Martha O. and Fred R. Stair Fellowship; James A. Jones Fellowship; Belk Fellowship; Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst Stipendium; Presbyterian College Faculty Scholar Award; Kyle Spencer Oxford Fellowship.
503 South Broad Street