Dr. Byron Curtis presents a lecture in Skye Lounge at the request of the Math Club.
Professor of Biblical Studies
Dr. Byron G. Curtis is a Christian theologian, pastor, and professional scholar in missional engagement with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures for the sake of the Academy, the Church, and the wider world. He specializes in Old Testament studies and biblical Hebrew. His research is internationally published, and focuses on late Old Testament prophecy, the Persian period in Palestine, and the history of biblical interpretation. He teaches in several biblical, historical, and theological fields, and is often called on to serve the wider Church as preacher, teacher, and theological consultant. He has lectured on three continents. Dr. Curtis is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and has served on Geneva′s full-time faculty since 1991. He and his wife, Sue Ann, have two grown children, Nathan and Naomi, and one granddaughter, Psyche Ariel.
Instructor, Old Testament Survey, LaRoche College, Pittsburgh PA, 1981
Associate Campus Minister, LaRoche College, w/the Coalition for Christian Outreach and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North Hills, 1980–83
Wilderness adventure director, First Presbyterian Church Camp, Ligonier PA, 1978
Courses
Hebrew 101–102, Elementary Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew 201, Intermediate Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew 202, Hebrew Exegesis: Haggai–Zechariah 1–8
Hebrew 202, Hebrew Exegesis: Zechariah
Hebrew 202, Hebrew Exegesis: Malachi
Hebrew 491, Advanced Hebrew Reading
Hebrew 491, Psalms
Hebrew 491, Readings in Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew 491, Zechariah 9–14
Hebrew 491, Dead Sea Scrolls
Hebrew 451, Aramaic (new course, 2013)
Bible 112, Old Testament Survey
Bible 301, Old Testament Prophets
Bible 302, Wisdom Literature
Bible 303, Old Testament Studies (variable topics)
Bible 304, The Book of Psalms
Bible 306, The Book of Daniel
Bible 307, Judah′s Exile and Restoration
Bible 320, Special Topics in Theology
Bible 324, Introduction to the Reformed Tradition
Bible 325, Biblical Theology
Bible 341, Archaeology and Geography of Israel
This course, offered every other fall semester, culminates in a study tour of Israel, in which I share duties of on-site lecturing in historical geography and archaeology
Bible 350, History of the Christian Church
Bible 351, Church History I: Beginnings to 1500 AD (new course, 2012)
Bible 352, Church History II: 1500 AD to the Present (new course, 2013)
Selected independent studies (BIB 491) and honors projects
Redaction Criticism and the Book of the Twelve (2013)
History of Christianity in East Asia (2013)
African Church History
Corporate Judgment and the Individual
Biblical Theology: Geerhardus Vos
Biblical Theology: Meredith Kline
Historical Theology: Luther
Seminary and graduate courses taught
Judah′s Exile and Restoration. Jerusalem University College, Israel, Fall 2011
OT Introduction. Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA, Summer 2007
OT History and Theology. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Coalition for Christian Outreach, Spring Institute
Biblical Theology: OT and NT. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the Coalition for Christian Outreach, Spring Institute
Selected courses and seminars for churches
The Holy Trinity: Christianity′s Most Precious Persuasion
The Gospel According to Zechariah (Zechariah 1–6)
Sages, Wise Guys, and Fools: Biblical Wisdom from Proverbs Job, & Ecclesiastes
Dangers and Dictators: The Book of Daniel—Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
The Uneasy Yoke: Christianity and Natural Science
Suffering and Hope: Biblical Perspectives on Pain and Human Sorrow
The Grace of Giving: Financial Aspects of Christian Ministry
The Protestant Reformation: Why It Still Matters
Pastoral Wisdom from the Sixteenth Century: Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin
Why Should I Pay Attention to these Old Poems?—The Psalms in Christian Worship “Help!” and “Hallelujah!”—Three Thousand Years of Spiritual Song
Sabbatical projects, Jerusalem University College (JUC), Israel, Fall 2011
Conducted research in Jerusalem in early Jewish and Christian interpretations of the book of Zechariah, with extensive library work at École Biblique et Archaeologique Française de Jerusalem; Hebrew Union College library; and Jerusalem University College library
Taught both undergraduate and graduate levels of “Judah′s Exile and Restoration,” with on-site lectures at Tel Lachish. HIST 6/452, JUC
Took the graduate course, “Physical Settings of the Bible,” with Dr. Paul Wright, JUC
Did extensive archaeological and historical-geographical travel in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Egypt, with Dr. Paul Wright, JUC
Audited lectures in archaeology from Dr. Gabriel Barkay, JUC
Books
Up the Steep and Stony Road: The Book of Zechariah in Social Location Trajectory Analysis. Academia Biblica 25. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. [Revised doctoral dissertation]
Up the Steep and Stony Road: The Book of Zechariah in Social Location Trajectory Analysis. Ph.D. dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microforms. 2005. Advisor: Dr. Peter Enns
Book-length course syllabi
Old Testament Survey. Geneva College, 2012. Co-authors: Dr. Barry Bandstra, Dr. Byron G. Curtis, Dr. Daniel Doriani, Dr. Dean R. Smith, and Dr. Jonathan Watt. For BIB 112, Geneva′s freshman-level core Bible course.
Old Testament Principles of Ministry: Student Manual. Geneva College, 1998. Degree Completion Program, CMN 404
Old Testament Principles of Ministry: Instructor′s Manual. Geneva College, 1998. Degree Completion Program, CMN 404
Current projects
Papers
Crown(s?), Throne(s?), and Messiah(s?) in Zechariah 6:9–15. Academic paper in textual criticism and the history of Bible translation. Forthcoming
Biblical Interpretation in the Septuagint version of Zechariah. Forthcoming
Obscurity, Obsolescence, and Adolescence: Weaknesses in the English Standard Version (ESV, 2001). Invited paper for the Session of Chapel Presbyterian Church (PCA), Beaver PA. June, 2013
Books
Editor and contributor: Calvin and the Prophets of Israel: A Legacy in Exegesis. Forthcoming. Very little has been published by Old Testament scholars regarding John Calvin's seminal contributions in his commentaries on the Old Testament prophets, published between 1551 and 1565. What does Calvin have to say about Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Twelve? In this book, six co-authors and I seek to evaluate Calvin's contributions to our understanding of this portion of the OT canon.
Zechariah and the Christian Gospel: How to Preach a Strange Biblical Book. I am writing this book for pastors and Bible study leaders. I seek to show—clearly and simply—how this OT book can be preached and taught as Christian gospel. Part One gives the main points of Zechariah′s message, passage by passage. Part Two shows how Zechariah′s words show up in the words of Jesus and his Apostles as they proclaimed the gospel. Part Three shows the enduring relevance of Zechariah for Christian believers.
The Book of Zechariah: A History of Interpretation (tentative title). This long-term project traces the main lines of the interpretation and use of Zechariah from the Septuagint and inter-testamental writings, through the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, Patristic writers, Rabbinic sources, Medieval commentators, Reformation and Post-Reformation exegetes, historical critics, and recent commentators, down into the modern period.
Selected publications
The Mas′ot Triptych and the Date of Zechariah 9–14: Issues in the Latter Formation of the Book of the Twelve.” Pages 191–206 in Perspectives on the Formation of the Book of the Twelve. Edited by Rainer Albertz, James D. Nogalski, and Jakob Wöhrle. Series: Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 433. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2012.
Hosea 6:7 and Covenant-Breaking like/at Adam.” Pages 170-209 in The Law is Not of Faith: Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant. Edited by Bryan D. Estelle, John V. Fesko, and David VanDrunen. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2009.
Early Christianity: Controversy over Christ.” Reformed Theological Journal 24 (November, 2008): 34–50.
Taking the Bus. The Geneva Review 3 (2005).
After the Exile: Haggai and History.” Pages 300–20 in Giving the Sense: Understanding and Using Old Testament Historical Texts. (Eugene Merrill Festschrift). Edited by David M. Howard and Michael A. Grisanti. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004.
The Zion-Daughter Oracles: Evidence on the Identity and Ideology of the Late Redactors of the Book of the Twelve.” Pages 166–84 in Reading and Hearing the Book of the Twelve. Edited by Marvin A. Sweeney and James D. Nogalski. SBL Symposium Series. Atlanta: Scholar′s Press, 2000.
Orthodoxy and the Enlightenment.” Semper Reformanda 6 (1998): 131-46.
Colossians 2:16 and the Supernumerary Sabbath.” Semper Reformanda 6 (1997): 35-42.
“Private Spirits” in the Westminster Confession of Faith §1.10 and in Catholic–Protestant Debate (1588–1652). Westminster Theological Journal 58 (1996): 257–66.
Smoke Signals and the Challenger Disaster. The Presbyterian Journal, March, 1987.
"John Calvin: Interpreter of the Prophets." Unio cum Christo, 2017.
"Theodicy on Steroids: Zechariah 14:7, Genesis 1:5, and the homilies of Basil the Great." Accepted for the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). 2017.
Selected presentations
Abraham Kuyper and his Lectures on Calvinism (1898). Invited lecture and consultancy for Department of Engineering, Geneva College, May 29, 2013
H. Richard Niebuhr and his Christ and Culture (1951). Invited lecture and consultancy for Department of Engineering, Geneva College, May 26, 2013.
Crown(s?), Throne(s?), and Messiah(s?) in Zechariah 6:9–15. Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, WI, November, 2012.
The Mas′ot Triptych and the Redaction of the Book of the Twelve. Paper for the invitation-only conference, Perspectives on the Formation of the Book of the Twelve. University of Münster, Germany, January 2011
Calvin′s Haggai. Paper prepared for (but not given) The Calvin 500 Conference. Geneva, Switzerland, July 2009.
Hosea 6:7—A Janus Solution to a Crux Interpretum. Israelite Prophetic Literature Section. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Boston, November 2008
Hosea 6:7 and the Republication Thesis: A Janus Solution to a Crux Interpretum. Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, Providence, RI, 2008
“And Now a Word from Our Sponsor.” Alpha Chi Honor Society Induction Ceremony keynote address, Geneva College, November 5, 2008
The Unity of Zechariah: New Methods and New Arguments. Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, San Diego, November 2007
Jean Cauvin: Qui Est-ce Qui? Faculty Paper, Geneva College, December 4, 2007
Cultivating the Intellectual Virtues. Alpha Chi Honor Society Induction Dinner lecture, Geneva College, October 10, 2007
Israelite Wisdom and the Quest for Knowledge: An Interdisciplinary Study in the Rise of Natural Science. Faculty Integration Paper, Geneva College, 2005
Invited Respondent to Dr. A. Joseph Everson on “The Canonical Location of Habakkuk.” Formation of the Book of the Twelve Seminar. Society of Biblical Literature, Annual Meeting, Toronto, November 2002
The Zion-Daughter Oracles: Evidence on the Identity and Ideology of the Late Redactors of the Book of the Twelve. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, 1998. The draft of this paper was chosen for publication in the SBL Seminar Papers for 1998
Orthodoxy and the Enlightenment. For “Minds and Souls: The Enlightenment and Christian Higher Education: Sesquicentennial Celebration Academic Conference,” Geneva College, 1997
Charismata as Hermeneutical Help? Evangelical Theological Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, 1994
Invited Respondent to Dr. Jörg Jeremias on the theology of Hosea and Amos Consultation on the Formation of the Book of the Twelve. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Chicago, 1994
Social Location and Redaction History in the Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi Corpus. Israelite Prophetic Literature Section. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Washington, DC, 1993
Eschatological Expectation and the Date Formulae in Haggai and Zechariah 1–8. Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 1992
Reassessing Weber on Prophetic Charisma: Center and Periphery. Association of Christians Teaching Sociology Annual Meeting, Beaver Falls, PA, 1992
Invited Respondent to Dr. Russell Heddendorf on “Theology and Sociology.” Association of Christian Teaching Sociology, Beaver Falls, PA, 1992
Service to Geneva College
Chairman, President′s Commission on Geneva′s Reformed Identity, 2010–11
Editor and co-author of the commission′s White Paper,
“Educating in Wisdom to the Glory of God: Geneva′s Reformed Identity”
Faculty Policy and Development Committee
Faculty Personnel Committee
Publications Editorial Board
Graduate Education Committee
Many other committees
Faculty Advisor: L.I.F.E. (“Life Is For Everyone,” Pro-Life action group), 1990s
Led several bus trips to the annual “March For Life,” Washington, DC
Faculty Advisor: Institute of Collegiate Studies student forum, 2009–2011
Geneva Literary Society
The Chimes: Geneva′s Literary Magazine, occasional contributor
Composed anthems performed by the sixty-voice concert choir, The Genevans, and by the traveling vocal ensemble, New Song
Occasional work with campus choral groups and campus devotional groups
Awards and distinctions received
Who′s Who in America, 2008
Excellence in Scholarship Award, Geneva College, 2006–2007
Nominated for the Arlin G. Meyer Prize in the Humanities,
Lilly Fellows Program in the Humanities and the Arts, 2007
Excellence in Teaching Award, Geneva College, 1996–97
Faithful Service Award, Peace Presbyterian Church, Cary, NC, 1988
Affiliations and memberships in professional organizations
Board Member, Jerusalem University College, 2012–
Member, Association for the Sociology of Religion
Manuscript reviewer for the peer-reviewed journal, Sociology of Religion
Member, Evangelical Theological Society
Member, Society of Biblical Literature
Member, Eastern Carolina Presbytery, Presbyterian Church in America
Faculty Representative for Geneva, Christian Scholar′s Review
Faculty Representative for Geneva, Jerusalem University College
Occasional consultant, National Geographic magazine, 1990s
Consultant, “Mysteries of the Bible,” A&E Network, The History Channel, 1997–98
Co-chair of the Beaver Valley Evangelical Forum, 1990s
Board Member, Habitat for Humanity, Wake County, NC 1980s–1990
Old Testament Editor for, The Greystone Theological Review
Miscellaneous, hobbies, sports, personal information
Music. Piano: I perform classics and jazz
Hammered dulcimer: folk music of the British Isles and the Appalachians.
Voice: I′ve sung with many choral groups, and for some years sang tenor with “The Village Singers” of the Tri-County Choral Institute, Sewickley, PA.
I also compose choral music, especially choral settings of the Psalms.
My anthems have been performed by choirs in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Reading. I read voraciously, especially history, biography, poetry, and novels.
My favorite poets include George Herbert, John Donne, and Wendell Berry.
Favorite authors of fiction include J.R.R. Tolkien, Chaim Potok, and Marilynne Robinson.
Poetry. I read and recite poetry, and write some of my own. Some gets published.
Sports. Although I no longer lead white-water river trips and caving expeditions (yep, I used to do that), I continue to love bicycling—especially the downhill part.
Grandfather to a granddaughter. One of the greatest joys in life.
