Prof David M. Moffitt
Professor
Biography
Prof. Moffitt came to St Andrews in 2013, having previously taught New Testament at Duke Divinity School and Campbell University Divinity School. His research interests orbit around the various ways the earliest Christians understood Jesus and their own identities in relation to Jewish scripture, practices, and beliefs. His work is especially focused on the Epistle to the Hebrews and the strategies the text employs to interpret early Christian claims about Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension in high-priestly and sacrificial terms. His first book, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Brill), demonstrates that the Christology and soteriology developed in Hebrews rests upon the author's correlation of the basic narrative of early Christian proclamation (i.e., the story of Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension) with the ritual process of the Yom Kippur sacrifices, the end goal of which was the maintenance of fellowship between God and God's covenant people (i.e., atonement). He worked with Stefan Alkier to produce an English edition of his book on interpreting the New Testament entitled, New Testament Basics: A Guide for Reading and Interpreting the Text (Fortress). Prof. Moffitt's most recent book, Rethinking the Atonement: New Perspectives on Jesus's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension (Baker Academic), explores some of the ways that Jesus's atoning work is associated not only in his death, but also with his resurrection, ascension, and ongoing intercession. In addition to contributing essays to various edited volumes, Prof. Moffitt’s publications appear in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Biblical Literature, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, New Testament Studies, Zeitschrift für die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der Älteren Kirche, Journal of Theological Studies, and Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik. Prof. Moffitt has been a Fulbright Scholar (Germany 2006–2007). His book Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews was a recipient of a Manfred LautenschlägerAward for Theological Promise (2013). He also received a British Academy Small Research Grant to engage in research on several mosaics depicting sacrifice located in and around Ravenna.
Teaching
DI2003/2013 Christ, Paul, and the Origins of Christianity
DI3716 Readings in Early Christian Greek Texts
DI4608/4609 The Gospel of Matthew
DI4616 Atonement (with Dr Madhavi Nevader)
DI4628/4629 The Epistle to the Hebrews
DI5156 Hellenistic Greek Readings
Dissertation and Thesis supervision
Research areas
Prof. Moffitt’s research focuses on the variety of ways the earliest Christians understood Jesus and their own identities in relation to Jewish scripture, practices, and beliefs. His core areas of ongoing research concern the Epistle to the Hebrews, the ways this early Christian sermon develops claims about Jesus’s person in high-priestly and sacrificial terms, and ancient practices of and beliefs about sacrifice. Beyond Hebrews, Prof. Moffitt has particular interests in the ways the early Christian confession of Jesus’s resurrection and ascension influence the theologies of the various books of the New Testament.
PhD supervision
- Cody Warta
- Lydia Gerges
- Sydney Allgood
- Rainer Thiessen
- Aogu Suzuki
- Joel Butcher
- Tammy Wiese
- Gwangsoo Lee
- Josh Johnson
Selected publications
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Boldly approaching the throne while still waiting for salvation: the dynamics of heavenly access and Jesus' awaited return in Hebrews' soteriology
Moffitt, D. M., 30 Jun 2024, The letter to the Hebrews : Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense, LXX, July 22-24, 2021. Burnet, R. (ed.). Leuven: Peeters, p. 185-207 23 p. (Bibliotheca Ephemeridum theologicarum Lovaniensium; vol. 335).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Hebrews’s Kaleidoscopic Reading of the Old Testament: Reflecting on Jesus in Light of the Absence and Anticipated Return of the High Priest, Moses, and Joshua
Moffitt, D. M., 2024, (Submitted) Appropriating Hebrews's Scriptural Hermeneutic for the Twenty-first Century. Harris, D. M. & Stark, J. D. (eds.). Lexington BooksResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Hebrews and the Atonement
Moffitt, D. M., 21 Aug 2024, The Oxford handbook of Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles. Gray, P. (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 197-214 18 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Sacrifice
Moffitt, D. M., 1 Nov 2024, Behind the scenes of the New Testament: cultural, soical, and historical contexts. Longenecker, B. W., Shively, E. E. & Lang, T. J. (eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker AcademicResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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The Ongoing Assurance of Jesus's Heavenly Offering: A review of Joshua D. A. Bloor, Purifying the Consciousness in Hebrews: Cult, Defilement and the Perpetual Heavenly Blood of Jesus
Moffitt, D. M., 9 Jan 2024, In: The Expository Times. 135, p. 168-169Research output: Contribution to journal › Book/Film/Article review
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Open access
Jubilees and Hebrews 2:10–18: Passover and the defeat of the devil
Moffitt, D. M., 31 Jan 2023, Reading Hebrews in context: the sermon and Second Temple Judaism. Blackwell, B. C., Goodrich, J. K. & Maston, J. (eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, p. 39-45Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Open access
Exodus in Hebrews
Moffitt, D. M., 21 Apr 2022, Exodus in the New Testament. Ehorn, S. M. (ed.). London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, p. 146-163 18 p. (Library of New Testament studies; vol. 663).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Isaiah 53, Hebrews, and covenant renewal
Moffitt, D. M., 2022, Rethinking the atonement: new perspectives on Jesus's death, resurrection, and ascension. Moffitt, D. M. (ed.). Baker Academic, p. 47-71Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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New Testament basics: a guide for reading and interpreting the text
Alkier, S. & Moffitt, D. M., 2022, Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. 426 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book
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Rethinking the atonement: new perspectives on Jesus's death, resurrection, and ascension
Moffitt, D. M., 1 Nov 2022, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 298 p.Research output: Book/Report › Book