Dorothy Jean Weaver

“As a disciple of Jesus Christ and a scholar of the New Testament my calling is to live deeply with the Scriptures and to open them faithfully for the people of God as God’s “good news” spoken through human beings into the human context. As a teacher of the New Testament my calling is to pass on to others not only deep love and profound respect for the Scriptures but also solid linguistic and exegetical tools for reading and interpreting the Scriptures faithfully within the life of the church.”

A member of the EMS faculty since 1984, Dr. Weaver teaches courses in New Testament and Greek language. She also leads study tours to the Middle East (“Places, People & Prayers”) through EMS and work groups to Nazareth and Bethlehem through the Partners in Mission program of Virginia Mennonite Missions. Dorothy Jean is Co-Chair of the Matthew Section of the Society of Biblical Literature and serves on the Advisory Board of Friends of Sabeel, North America. She is a frequent speaker and writer outside the classroom and has taught New Testament courses in Beirut, Lebanon, Bethlehem, Palestine and Cairo, Egypt. Dorothy Jean sings regularly with the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival. She is a member of Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA.

• PhD, Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, VA, 1987.
• Exchange year: University of Berne, Switzerland, 1981-82.
• M.Div, Goshen Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN, 1977.
• B.A., Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, 1972.
• Year Abroad: Philipps University, Marburg, Germany, 1971-72.

• “Between Text and Sermon: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15,” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 61:4 (October 2007): 426-428.
• “Bible Insight Essays” in Connect: Living the Good News Together, “Gather ‘Round” (Elgin, IL: Brethren Press/Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing Network, Spring 2008).
• “Bible Insight Essays” in Connect: Salt and Light, “Gather ‘Round” (Elgin, IL: Brethren Press/Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing Network, Winter 2007-08).
• “Hands On: A Faith to Handle, Taste, and Touch” (June 24, 1995) at www.webofcreation.org under “Worship”/”Resources”/”Sample Sermons.”
• “Living Faithfully in the Cosmos: Environmental Reflections for Disciples of Christ” (October 20, 2006) at www.webofcreation.org under “Worship”/”Resources”/”Sample Sermons.”
• “Authority,” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, A-C, Volume 1, pp. 352-352. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2006.
• “Hazmats or Good Gifts,” Christian Reflection: A Series in Faith and Ethics 21 (2006:37-43.
• “Reading the Signs: Reflections on the Gospel Readings from Advent to Epiphany,” Leader: Equipping the Missional Congregation 4:1 (Fall 2006):23-24.
• “How the Story of Jesus and the Life of the Church Have Shaped My Interactions with Students and My Teaching Practices,” in Higher Learning and the Wisdom of the Cross, pp. 53-54. Carlos Romero, ed. Goshen, IN: Mennonite Education Agency, 2006.
• “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time,” in Telling Our Stories: Personal Accounts of Engagement with Scripture, pp. 198-206. Ray Gingerich and Earl Zimmerman, eds. Telford, PA: Cascadia Publishing House, 2006.
• ”’Thus You Will Know Them by Their Fruits’: The Roman Characters of the Gospel of Matthew,” in The Gospel of Matthew in its Roman Imperial Context, pp. 107-127. John Riches and David C. Sim, eds. London: T & T Clark International, 2005.
• “Justice and Reconciliation in Muslim-Christian Encounter: Perspectives from Israel/Palestine,” in Anabaptists Meeting Muslims: A Calling for Presence in the Way of Christ, pp. 246-255. James R. Krabill, David W. Shenk, and Linford Stutzman, eds. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2005.
• “Resistance and nonresistance: New Testament perspectives on confronting the powers,” HTS (Hervormde Teologiese Studies 61:1 & 2 (March & June, 2005): 619-638.
• “As Sheep in the Midst of Wolves: Mission and Peace in the Gospel of Matthew,” in Beautiful upon the Mountains: Biblical Essays on Mission, Peace, and the Reign of God, pp. 123-143. Mary H. Schertz and Ivan Friesen, eds. Elkhart, IN: Institute of Mennonite Studies / Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2003.
• “Beware of Burning Bushes: A Biblical-Theological Foundation for the Ministry of Political Advocacy,” in Reclaiming the Old Testament: Essays in Honour of Waldemar Janzen, pp. 186-197. Gordon Zerbe, ed. Winnipeg, MB: CMBC Publications, 2001.
• Bread for the Enemy: A Peace & Justice Lectionary.Orville, OH: Mennonite Church Peace & Justice Committee, 2001.
• “The New Testament and the Environment: Toward a Christology for the Cosmos,” in Creation and the Environment: An Anabaptist Perspective on a Sustainable World, pp. 122-138. Calvin Redekop, ed. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000.
• “Power and Powerlessness: Matthew’s Use of Irony in the Portrayal of Political Leaders,” in Treasures New and Old: Recent Contributions to Matthean Studies, pp. 179-196. David R. Bauer and Mark Allan Powell, eds. Atlanta, GA: Scholars Press, 1996.
• “Transforming Nonresistance: From Lex Talionis to ‘Do Not Resist the Evil One,’” in The Love of Enemy and Nonretaliation in the New Testament, pp. 32-71. Willard M. Swartley, ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.
• “Biblical Perspectives,” in Bioethics and the Beginning of Life: An Anabaptist Perspective, pp. 15-30. Roman J. Miller and Beryl H. Brubaker, eds. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1990.
• The Missionary Discourse in the Gospel of Matthew: A Literary Critical Analysis. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1990.

• ”’Suffering Violence’ and the Kingdom of Heaven [Mt. 11:12]: A Matthean Manual for Life in a Time of War,” presented to the Matthew Section at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Washington, D.C., November 17-21, 2006.
• “How the Story of Jesus and the Life of the Church Have Shaped My Interactions with Students and My Teaching Practices,” presented at the Mennonitte University Faculty Conference at Bluffton University, Bluffton, OH, August 8-10, 2006.

• Co-led Nazareth/Bethlehem Work Groups for the Partners in Mission program of Virginia Mennonite Missions, May 2008, 2006, 2004.
• Presented a Bible study (“New Testament Perspectives on Mission: A Trinitarian Journey through the New Testament Writings”) for “Mission Alive 2008,” a Church of the Brethren missions conference held at the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren, Bridgewater, VA, April 4-6, 2008.
• Presented a chapel meditation (“A Middle Eastern Ministry of Presence”) at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, VA, October 4, 2007.
• Co-led EMS cross-cultural tours (“Places, People, & Prayers”) to Israel/Palestine, May 2007, 2005, 2000, 1998.
• Led a workshop (“Living the ‘Blessed’ Life: New Testament Beatitudes in the Real World”) for the School for Leadership Training, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, VA, January 15-18, 2007.
• Preached the Sunday sermon (“Living Faithfully in the Cosmos: Environmental Reflections for Disciples of Christ”) for the Fall Association Meeting of Laurelville Mennonite Church Center, Mt. Pleasant, PA, October 20-22, 2006.
• Taught a five-session course (“The World behind the Headlines: Perspectives on the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict”) at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, Harrisonburg, VA for the James Madison University LIfelong Learning Institute, September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 13, 2006.
• Guest Professor, Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC), Cairo, Egypt, September, 2002-January, 2003.
• Co-led an emergency delegation to Bethlehem (“A Solidarity of Eyes, Ears, Hands and Feet with the People of Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem”), endorsed by Eastern Mennonite University and Virginia Mennonite Conference, May 23-June 3, 2002.
• Participated in a Christian Peacemaker Teams Delegation to Hebron, West Bank, July/August 2001.
• Guest Professor, International Center of Bethlehem (ICB), Bethlehem, Palestine, September-December, 2000.
• Member, Advisory Board, Friends of Sabeel, North America, 1999—.
• Guest Professor, Near East School of Theology (NEST), Beirut, Lebanon, September, 1995-January, 1996.
• Member, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival Chorus, 1993—.
• Member, Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, 1984—.

• Society of Biblical Literature
  Co-Chair, SBL Matthew Section, 2004—
• Catholic Biblical Association

• Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, San Diego, CA, November 17-20, 2007
• Lexington Seminar Consultation, Asticou Inn, Bar Harbor, ME, October 10-12, 2007.
• Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Washington, D. C., November 17-21, 2006.
• Mennonitte University Faculty Conference at Bluffton University, Bluffton, OH, August 8-10, 2006.

• “Apocalyptic: Revelation in Biblical Context” (major revision of former course “Apocalyptic: Daniel and Revelation”), Spring 2007.