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Faculty Bio

Lissa Wray Beal

Contact

Email: Lissa.WrayBeal@prov.ca

Phone: 1-431-815-4298

Office: 4A20


Full Contact Details

Lissa Wray Beal, Ph.D.

Professor of Old Testament

Dr. Wray Beal’s work focuses in Joshua-Kings, Jeremiah and the Psalter, exploring their literary, historical and theological dimensions. She teaches the Old Testament as a witness to God’s character, and as preparatory for Christ. Her work within local churches ties her academic work to that of the Church and her commentaries, books, articles and conference papers reflect these interests. She is passionate that her students see the necessity of the Old Testament to New Testament faith. Her life is enriched by gardening, travel and reading.

  • BI5102 Reading the Church's Bible
  • OT6301 Old Testament Theology
  • OT5101 Introductory Hebrew I
  • OT5102/163.32 Introductory Hebrew II
  • OT5202 Old Testament Text and Interpretation
  • OT5301 The Pentateuch: God Forms His People in Genesis-Deuteronomy
  • OT5302 The Historical Books: Israel's Life in the Land
  • OT5307 Psalms: The Prayerbook of the Church
  • OT5311 The Prophetic Books: God Addresses His People
  • OT6101/163.41 Exegesis of Hebrew Narrative
  • OT6102/163.42 Exegesis of Hebrew Poetry
  • OT7460 Major Guided Readings (Old Testament)
  • OT7461 General Guided Readings (Old Testament)

Thesis Supervision Completed/In Progress

  • Esther Boschmann (DMin), "Rewarding Service: Charting the Dangerous Seascapes for Female Church Leaders Navigating Complementarian and Egalitarian Waters." 2020.
  • Shannon Johnson Friesen (MDiv Honours), "The Temple Sermon's Contribution to the Structure of Jeremiah: A Literary-Canonical Study of Jeremiah 7:1-15." 2019.
  • Charles Harris (MA), Elijah as Dominant Character: A Narrative-Critical Reading of Elijah's Representation of YHWH in 1 Kings 18:16-40. 2010.

University of St. Michael's College (ON)

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Biblical Studies

2003

Edmonton Baptist Seminary (AB)

Master of Divinity (M.Div.)

1996

Northwest Bible College

Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.), with Honours

1990

Present

  • Providence Theological Seminary, Faculty (since 2004)
  • Providence Theological Seminary, Chair of the Bible and Theology Department (since 2011)

Past

  • Queen's Theological College (Kingston, ON), Instructor in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (2004-2005)
  • Tyndale College & Seminary (Toronto, ON), Instructor in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and Hermeneutics (1998-2003)
  • Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology (Toronto, ON), Instructor in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible (1999-2003)

Professional Associations

  • Institute for Biblical Research; 2007 - 2011 as Member at Large and Newsletter Editor; 2015-2018 as Member at Large and Research Groups Coordinator; 2018-present as Executive Board, Program Secretary (2006)
  • Society of Biblical Literature (2000)
  • Canadian Society of Biblical Studies; 2008-2012 as Steering Committee Member, Historiography Seminar (1998)

Editorial Boards

  • Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures. Appointed 2020.
  • Bulletin for Biblical Research. Appointed 2020.
  • Didaskalia. Appointed 2018.

Peer Reviewer

  • Bulletin for Biblical Research (2021)
  • Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies (2019)
  • Christianity Today Book Award (2019)
  • Journal of Biblical Literature (2018)
  • R.B.Y. Scott Award, Canadian Society of Biblical Literature (2018-20)
  • Didaskalia (2017)
  • Vetus Testamentum (2009)

Current Research

Commentaries – In Progress

  • Jeremiah. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Prophets. Under Contract.
  • The Book of Ruth in The Bible in God's World Commentary. Cascade Publishing. Under Contract.
  • 1-2 Samuel. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Historical Books. Under Contract

Commentary Editing - In Progress

  • The Bible in God's World (co-editing with M. Daniel Carroll R). Cascade Publishing. Under Contract.
  • Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Historical Books (co-editing with David G. Firth). Baker Academic. Under Contract.

Research Articles – In Progress

  • "Emulating the Apostles: Reading Jeremiah as Christian Scripture in the Footsteps of the Apostles" for Reading Isaiah and Jeremiah as Christian Scripture. Ed. Andrew Abernethy. InterVarsity Press.
  • "The Monstrous, the Prophetic, and the Enduring: Yahweh's Servants of Horror and Grace in Jeremiah 25:1-14" for From the Rising to the Setting Sun: Global Perspectives on Bible and Violence, eds. Helen Paynter and Trevor Laurence.
  • "Jezebel and Jehu" in Oxford Handbook of First and Second Kings. Oxford University Press.
  • "'Call for the Mourning Women': Women's Songs of Lament in Jeremiah" for Evangelicals and Women Section of the Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, November 2021.

Publications

Monographs

Research Articles

  • (In press). "Prophetic Ministry in Jeremiah 20:7-18: 'Violence and Destruction,' and Paradoxical Hope for a Shattered Community" in The Hermeneutics of Violence. Eds. Helen Paynter and Trevor Laurence. Sheffield Phoenix Press.
  • 2021. "The Old Testament and Memory Studies: New Directions," Currents in Old Testament Studies column, Didaktikos 4.4.
  • 2019. "Dancing with Death; Dancing with Life: Ahab between Jezebel and Elijah” in Murderers and Monarchs, Princes and Prophets: Volume 2 of Characters and Characterization in Samuel-Kings. Ed. Benjamin Johnson and Keith Bodner. T & T Clark.
  • 2018. "The Past as Threat and Hope: Reading Joshua with Numbers" in Bulletin for Biblical Research 27.4.
  • 2018. "Setting the Table for Christ: Food and Drink in the Ministry of Elisha" in Interpreting the Old Testament Theologically: Essays in Honor of Willem V. VanGemeren. Ed. Andrew T. Abernethy. Zondervan.
  • 2018. "Windows into Jeremiah," Currents in Old Testament Studies column, Didaktikos 1.2.
  • 2017. "Land Entry and Possession in Origen's Homilies on Joshua: Deep Reading for Christian Life" in Explorations in Interdisciplinary Reading: Theological, Exegetical, and Receptional-Historical Perspectives. Eds. Robbie Castleman, Stephen Presley, Darian Lockett. Wipf and Stock.
  • 2016. Response to Women of War, Women of Woe by Marion Taylor and Christiana DeGroot. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016. Review panel proceedings in Canadian-American Theological Review (formerly Canadian Theological Review) 5.2.
  • 2013. "Jeroboam and the Prophets in 1 Kings 11-14: Prophetic Word for Two Kingdoms," in Prophets, Prophecy, and Ancient Israelite Historiography: Essays Arising from Ancient Historiography Section of Canadian Society of Biblical Studies Conference, 2009. Eds. Mark Boda, Lissa M. Wray Beal. Eisenbrauns.
  • 2013. "Introduction" (with M. Boda), Prophets, Prophecy and Ancient Israelite Historiography. Eds. M. Boda and L. Wray Beal. Eisenbrauns.
  • 2007. "Mary Anne SchimmelPenninck: A 19th Century Woman as Psalm-Reader" in Recovering 19th Century Women Interpreters of the Bible. SBL Symposium Series.
  • 2006. "Evaluating Jehu: Narrative Control of Approval and Disapproval in 2 Kings 9-10" in From Babel to Babylon: Essays on Biblical History and Literature in Honour of Brian Peckham. Eds. Joyce Rilett Wood, John E. Harvey, Mark Leuchter. LHBOTS 445. T & T Clark International/Continuum.
  • 2005. "Blessings Lost: Intertextual Inversions in Hosea," Didaskalia 16.2.

Edited Volumes

  • 2013. Prophets, Prophecy, and Ancient Israelite Historiography: Essays Arising from Ancient Historiography Section of Canadian Society of Biblical Studies Conference, 2009. Co-editor with Dr. Mark Boda. Eisenbrauns.

Dictionary Articles

  • 2012. "SchimmelPenninck, Mary Anne Galton (1778-1856)" in the Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters. Baker Academic.
  • 2012. "Literary Approaches" in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets. InterVarsity Press.
  • 2008. "Psalms: History of Interpretation" in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. InterVarsity Press.

Book Reviews

  • Reviews published in Toronto Journal of Theology, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Review of Biblical Literature, Didaskalia, Scottish Journal of Theology, McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry, and Bulletin for Biblical Research.
  • Peer Reviews provided for Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies, Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, Didaskalia, Christianity Today (Book of the Year Award).

Published Lectures

  • 2020. Joshua: A Video Study. Twenty-four Lessons on History, Meaning, and Application. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Popular Publications, Published Sermons, Podcasts

Academic Lectures, Papers, and Responses

  • 2021. "Servants of Grace and Horror in Jeremiah 25:1-14." Plenary paper for the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence Conference, Global Perspectives on Bible and Violence.
  • 2020. "Holding Steady in Turbulent Times: Words from Jeremiah." Paper, and panelist at Providence Theological Seminary Bible and Theology The Church Post-Pandemic Forum.
  • 2020. "Emulating the Apostles: Reading Jeremiah as Christian Scripture." Invited paper, Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, OT Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books Section.
  • 2020. "Accommodating Genocide (?)." Presented at Providence Theological Seminary Biblical and Theological Department Symposium.
  • 2019. "Foreign Gods, Foreign Lives, Foreign Land: Indictment and Repentance in Jeremiah 5." Plenary paper at Trinity College (Bristol), Postgraduate Research Conference (Bristol UK).
  • 2019. "Joshua and Jeremiah: Recalling the Past as Identity Formation." Invited paper at Tyndale Fellowship Conference (Cambridge UK).
  • 2018. "Response to Dr. Robert Dean: 'A Plea for Pointless Preaching: Bringing Renewal to the Pulpit through Theological Reflection.'" Presented at Providence Theological Seminary Biblical and Theological Department Colloquium. 
  • 2018. "Response to Drs. Tremper Longman and Glenys Wirch: 'Creation, Evolutionary Theory, and Being Human.'" Presented at Legacy Conference, Providence Theological Seminary. 
  • 2018. "Eating and Drinking with Elisha and Christ." Paper at Providence Theological Seminary Biblical and Theological Department Colloquium.
  • 2018. "The Nature of Judgment and Greg Boyd's Crucifixion of the Warrior God." Invited paper at the Evangelical Theological Society, Warfare and Violence in the Old Testament Section.
  • 2018. "The Emergence of Israel in the Book of Joshua: The Faithfulness of God." Invited paper at the Annual Meeting of the Institute for Biblical Research, Early Historical Books (Joshua-Kings) Research Group.
  • 2018. "Theological Interpretation of Scripture." Lecture at Providence Theological Seminary DMin Program.
  • 2017. "Response to Dr. Patrick Franklin: 'The God Who Sends is the God Who Loves: Mission as Participating in the Ecstatic Love of the Triune God.'" Presented at Providence Theological Seminary Biblical and Theological Department Colloquium.
  • 2017. "Strangers in a Strange Land? Women in the Academy." Lecture at Providence University College and Theological Seminary Missio Dei Conference.
  • 2016. "Response to Women of War, Women of Woe by Marion Taylor and Christiana DeGroot." Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Theological Society; extended version presented in the Recovering Female Biblical Interpreters Section at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2016. "Counting Connections, Discerning Directions: Reading Joshua with Numbers." Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2014. "Land Entry and Possession in Origen's Homilies on Joshua: Deep Reading for Christian Life." Paper at the Biblical Theology, Hermeneutics, and Theological Disciplines Study Group, Institute for Biblical Research Annual Meeting.
  • 2013. "Reading Joshua as Word of God." Paper at McMaster Divinity College Student Colloquium.
  • 2012. "Response to Dr. Craig Blaising: 'Biblical and Systematic Perspectives on Creation: An Interdisciplinary Approach.'" Presented at the Biblical Theology, Hermeneutics, and Theological Disciplines Study Group, Institute for Biblical Research Annual Meeting.
  • 2012. "Letting Josiah Rest in Peace." Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2011. "The Old Testament and Apocalyptic." Paper presented, and panelist at Apocalypse When, St. Benedict's Table Anglican Church Colloquium, Winnipeg. 
  • 2009. "Jeroboam and the Prophets in 1 Kings 11-14: Prophetic Word for Two Kingdoms." Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2008. "Chiasms and Clever Words: Justifying the Executions of Joab and Shimei in 1 Kings 2." Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2008. "Solomon, Joab, and Shimei: Execution Without Guilt." Paper at Providence Theological Seminary Interdisciplinary Colloquium.
  • 2006. “Mary Anne SchimmelPenninck: Reading the Psalms Through One’s Life and The Church.” Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Christianity and Literature Study Group
  • 2006. “Moving Beyond the Bible Biblically: An Old Testament Narrative Model for ‘Moving Beyond.’” Plenary paper for the Midwest Evangelical Theological Society
  • 2005. "That's My Line!--Historiography and the Control of the Prophetic Word in Samuel-Kings." Paper at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting
  • 2004. “Sacred Hours: 19th Century Women as Psalm-Readers.” Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2003. “Evaluating Jehu: Narrative Control of Approval and Disapproval in 2 Kings 9 and 10.” Founders Award (Student Essay Prize) paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2002. "Response to Dr. David Jobling: 'The Salvation of Israel in "The Book of the Divided Kingdoms," or, Was There Any "Fall of the Northern Kingdom?"'" Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 2002. "Response to Dr. Marion Taylor: 'Women Interpreters of the Bible in the 19th Century: Mary Petrie.'" Presented at the Toronto School of Theology Biblical Department Colloquium.
  • 2000. “Hagar, Privilege and Power.” Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.
  • 1999. “Intertextuality: A Case Study From the Book of Hosea.” Paper at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies.

Recent Teaching and Lectures in Parishes and Local Churches

  • 2019. "Quench: Refreshment from the Psalms." Bible teacher at pastor/spouse retreat, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada.
  • 2019. "Feasting and Famine: The Ministries of Elijah and Elisha." Plenary Bible teacher at one-week Wesley Acres Camp, Bloomfield, Ontario.
  • 2018. "The Heart of God in the Torah." Adult Education Class, Grace Covenant Church, Fargo, ND
  • 2017. "Finding God in the Goodness of Small Things," Keynote Retreat Speaker, Star Lake Women's Retreat, Winnipeg.
  • 2017. "Psalms of Lament: Walking the Wilderness With Christ," Lenten Study, Faith Covenant Church, Winnipeg
  • 2016. "Psalms of Lament: Crying Out; Seeking Comfort," Adult Education Class, Parish of St. Peter, Winnipeg
  • 2014. "The Pentateuch," Adult Education Class, Parish of St. Peter, Winnipeg
  • 2014. "Reading the Old Testament," and "Reading the Old Testament in Light of the New Testament," Lectures at Bible and Breakfast, St. John's College, Winnipeg
  • 2014. "Jeremiah: Faithful Through Change and Loss," Adult Education Class, Willowlake Baptist Church, Winnipeg

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