Janet Spittler

Janet Spittler, PhD - Associate Professor (University of Virginia, Department of Religious Studies)

"The majority of my research to date centers around the Christian apocrypha, particularly the apocryphal acts of the apostles. My first book explored the literary context and significance of the animal-related episodes that are so common in the acts, and in subsequent articles I have treated various other aspects of these texts. My current project is a commentary on the apocryphal Acts of John."

EDUCATION

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO?

M.A., Ph.D., Department of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, Division of the 2005, 2007 Humanities ?
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Dissertation: “Wild Kingdom: Animals in the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles” Committee: co-advisors Margaret M. Mitchell and Hans-Josef Klauck; readers Elizabeth Asmis and David Martinez

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA?

BA magna cum laude, double major in Classics and Philosophy & Religion; highest honors in? 1995-1999 Philosophy & Religion

EMPLOYMENT

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

• Associate Professor of Religious Studies, 2017-present
• Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, 2014-2017

TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

• Associate Professor of Religion; Coordinator, Classical Studies Program, 2013-2014
• Maternity Leave, Spring and Summer 2013
• Assistant Professor of Religion; Coordinator, Classical Studies Program, 2007-2013

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO?

• Graduate Instructor of Koine Greek (at the Divinity School), Academic years 2004-5, 2005-6, 2006-7?
• Graduate Instructor: “Martyrdom in Early Christianity” (in the College), Spring 2005
• Graduate Instructor: “Early Christian Narratives” (in the College), Spring 2004
• Research Assistant to Hans-Josef Klauck, Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature, 2001-2005
• Teaching Assistant to Prof. Margaret M. Mitchell, “Introduction to the New Testament”, Winter 2003, 2004
• Course Assistant to Profs. Margaret M. Mitchell and David Martinez, “Hero Cults and Early Christianity”, Spring 2003
• Course Assistant to Profs. Hans Dieter Betz and Christopher Faraone, “Graeco-Roman and Early Christian Magical Texts”, Winter 2001

ELMHURST COLLEGE

• Adjunct Professor: “Women in Biblical Literature” and “Biblical Studies and Contemporary Relevance”, 2005-7

NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE?

• Adjunct Professor: “Roman and Christian Thought” (History of Ideas 102, Honors course), Spring 2006?

PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

• Latin Instructor (tutoring and classes), 2003-2007

TEACHING

AREAS OF TEACHING COMPETENCY

• New Testament; Christian Apocrypha; Early Christian Thought; Greek and Roman Religion; Greek and Roman Novels; Greek Authors of the Roman Empire: Plutarch, Lucian, Philostratus, Dio Chrysostom; Introduction to the Hebrew Bible; Women in the Bible; Hellenistic Judaism: Philo, Josephus
• Language Instruction: Greek and Latin

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

Courses Taught:

• EMGT 1540 Can a Text Be Ethical?
• RELC 1220 Early Christianity and the New Testament?
• RELG 7360 Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion??
• RELS 9998-012 Greek Translation Group??
• RELC 3040 Paul: Letters and Theology??
• RELC 5559 Ancient Fiction and Early Christian Narrative???
• RELC 5559 Religions of the Roman Empire???
• RELC 3559 Apocryphal Christian Literature)?
• COLA 1500 Not in the Bible?

SERVICE

DEPARTMENTAL AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE

• Co-Director, New Curriculum, College Fellows Program, Fall 2018-Spring 2019
• College Fellows Program, Spring 2017-Fall 2018
• Co-Director, Virginia Center for the Study of Religion, 2016-2017
• Religious Studies, JCA Colloquium Convener, 2016-2018
• Religious Studies, Historical Studies Field Head, 2016-2018
• Library Digital Research Internship Faculty Mentor (to interns Jeannie Sellick and Rebecca Draughon), 2016-2017
• Religious Studies Graduate Professional Development Committee Co-Chair, 2015-2016??
• Search Committee Member (Religion Nature and Culture in South Asia) 2015-2016
• Judge, Virginia Center for the Study of Religion student essay competition, May 2015
• Workshop on Religion and Society in Greco-Roman Antiquity planning committee member, 2015
• Search Committee Member (Connective Cultures in the Post-Classical Mediterranean), 2014-2015

SERVICE TO THE FIELD

• President, NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature), 2018-present
• Series Editor, Studies in Christian Apocrypha monograph series (Polebridge Press), 2016-present
• Series Editor, Early Christian Apocrypha translation series (Polebridge Press), 2016-present
• Vice President, NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature), 2015-2018
• Member, Early Christianity advisory board, 2014-present
• Member, “Corpus Hellenisticum Novi Testamenti” Program Unit steering committee Society of Biblical Literature, 2016-present
• Co-chair, “Ancient Fiction and Early Christian and Jewish Narrative” Program Unit, Society of Biblical Literature, 2014-2017
• Member, “Early Exegesis of Genesis 1” Consultation steering committee, Society of Biblical Literature, 2015-16
• External Evaluator, Swiss National Science Foundation Research Council, 2015, 2016
• Article reviewer, Brill Open Humanities Journal, 2015

HONORS?AND?AWARDS

ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT STIFTUNG

• Humboldt Foundation Renewed Research Fellowship, June 1-July 31, 2016
• Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers, University of Regensburg,? 2010-2011

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO?

• Marty Center Dissertation Fellowship, 2004-2005
• Noyes-Cutter Greek Prize 2003
• Century Fellowship 1999-2004
• THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE?
• Robert Cecil Mildram Prize in Philosophy and Religion 1999
• The Alpha Society (University of Tennessee Honors Society) 1999
• North Callahan Award for research in the humanities 1999
• University Honors Program Fellow, Brock Scholarship recipient 1995-1999

MEMBERSHIPS

• Society of Biblical Literature, 2000-present
• North American Patristics Society, 2015-present
• Founding member of NASSCAL (North American Society for the Study of Christian Apocryphal Literature), 2014-present
• Founding member of THECLA (THe Early Christian Literature Association), University of Chicago, 2001-2007

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LANGUAGES

Greek (Attic, Koine); Latin; Classical Hebrew; German (C2 competency), French (reading knowledge)

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PUBLICATIONS

Monograph

Animals in the Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles: Early Christianity’s Wild Kingdom (WUNT II 247; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2008)?

Reviewed by:

Thomas Kraus, Zeitschrift für Antike und Christentum 15 (2011), pp. 555-558 (German)?

Richard I. Pervo, Early Christianity 1 (2010), pp. 628-30 (English)?

Pieter J. Lalleman, Journal for the Study of the NT 32.5 (2010), pp. 131-32 (English)?

J. K. Elliott, Novum Testamentum 52 (2010), p. 200 (English)?

Rémi Gounelle, Revue d’histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses 90 (2010), pp. 446-47 (French)?

Miguel Flores Colin, Mayeutica 79 (2009), pp. 245-46 (Spanish)?

Anne Catherine Baudoin, Apocrypha 20 (2009), pp. 294-97 (French)

Edited Volumes