Dr. James Buchanan Wallace
Biography
Dr. James Buchanan Wallace is Chair and Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. His area of specialty is the New Testament, with a focus on the letters of Paul, patristic interpretation of Scripture, and the Greco-Roman and Jewish contexts of early Christianity. Dr. Wallace teaches courses on both the Old and New Testaments. He never tires of exploring these texts with students, whether introducing new interpretations to long-time Bible readers or showing new readers why Scripture is surprising and still relevant. He especially loves learning from his students! Dr. Wallace has a wife, Thea, and three children.
Education
- Emory University, PhD
- Candler School of Theology, Emory University, MDiv
- Sewanee (The University of the South), BA
Courses Taught
Publications and Research Focus
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- The letters of Paul, especially eschatology and dimensions of religious experience
- Eastern patristic interpretations of Scripture
- The Greco-Roman and Jewish religious milieux of early Christianity
PUBLICATIONS
BOOK
Snatched into Paradise (2 Cor 12:1-10): Paul’s Heavenly Journey in the Context of Early Christian Experience. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche 179. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2011.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110247855/html?lang=enEDITED VOLUMES
Co-editor with Athanasios Despotis, Greek and Byzantine Philosophical Exegesis. Eastern Church Identities 5. Paderborn: Brill Schöningh, 2022.
https://brill.com/display/title/56762Co-editor with Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr and Predrag Dragutinović, The Holy Spirit and the Church According to the New Testament (Sixth International East-West Symposium of New Testament Scholars, Belgrade, August 25-31, 2013). Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 354. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016.
https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/the-holy-spirit-and-the-church-according-to-the-new-testament-9783161535079ESSAYS
- “Modern Orthodox Biblical Interpretation.” Pages 647-667 in Eugen Pentiuc, ed., The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in Orthodox Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-the-bible-in-orthodox-christianity-9780190948658?lang=3n&cc=ar# - “Of Manna and Eucharist: The Feeding of the Five Thousand in the Gospel of John.” Pages 417-437 in T. Nicklas, K.-W. Niebuhr, and M. Seleznev, eds. History and Theology in the Gospel Narratives (Seventh International East-West Symposium of New Testament Scholars, Moscow, September 25-October 1, 2016). Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 447. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020.
https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/history-and-theology-in-the-gospels-9783161595592?no_cache=1 - “New Testament Studies and the Orthodox Church,” Religious Studies Review 45.1 (2019): 11-18.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rsr.13936 - “Identities at Risk: The ‘New Perspective’ on Paul and Eastern Orthodox Interpretation of Romans 8:14-17, 28-30.” Pages 273-312 in Participation, Justification, and Conversion: Eastern Orthodox Interpretation of Paul and Debate between Old and New Perspectives on Paul. Edited by Athanasios Despotis. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament II.442. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2017.
https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/participation-justification-and-conversion-9783161541407?no_cache=1 - “Benefactor and Paradigm: Viewing Jesus’ Ascension in Luke-Acts through Greco-Roman Ascension Traditions.” Pages 83-107 in Ascent into Heaven in Luke-Acts: New Explorations of Luke’s Narrative Hinge. Edited by David Bryan and David Pao. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781451496444/Ascent-into-Heaven-in-Luke-Acts - “Spirit(s) in the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.” Pages 309-40 in: Predrag Dragutinović, Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, and James Buchanan Wallace, eds. The Holy Spirit and the Church According to the New Testament (Sixth International East-West Symposium of New Testament Scholars, Belgrade, August 26-30, 2013). Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 354. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2016.
https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/en/book/the-holy-spirit-and-the-church-according-to-the-new-testament-9783161535079 - “Called to the Third Heaven: Second Corinthians 11:21-12:9 in the Eastern Orthodox Liturgical Tradition,” Journal of Theological Interpretation, 6.2 (2012): 179-99.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/26421411 - “Stormy Banks and Sweet Rivers: A Sacred Harp Geography,” Southern Spaces, June 4, 2007. http://www.southernspaces.org/contents/2007/wallace/1a.htm.
Service and Community Engagement
CBU stands out because we recognize that Faith, Service, and Community are intricately interconnected. The Department of Religion and Philosophy regularly hosts “Conversations” on topics of immense relevance, such as “What is Happiness?” or “The Stranger,” or “What is Faith?” Three panelists reflect briefly on the topic, and then all present join in. These events allow us, among other things, to ask about the role of faith in everyday life and to build community. Dr. Wallace also builds service-learning projects into two of his class, The Gospels and the Prophets. Outside of CBU, he teaches a regular Bible study.
Office Hours
Mon.: 9:30-10:30 am; 2:00-4:30 pm
Wed.: 9:30-10:30 am; 2:00-4:30 pm
Thurs.: 2:00-4:00 pm (virtual)
Fri.: 9:30-10:30 am