Ian Kinman

Ian is a PhD candidate in the field of biblical studies, where he focuses on both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as well as Second Temple literature

His research draws on the characters of eunuchs in ancient literature: he compares the use of the eunuch as a literary character in Second Temple interpretations of Hebrew Bible texts—and other Greco-Roman literary genres—with its use in the Gospel of Matthew and other early Christian texts. He argues that such comparative work illuminates how early Christian communities used the eunuch as a trope in an effort to discern and articulate specifically Christian understandings of marital relationships and procreation.

Ian’s other research interests include ancient art and architecture; the role of wine and alcoholic beverages in ancient sources, including in medical contexts; ancient understandings of astronomy and mathematics.

Ian has extensive teaching experience. At Fordham, he has taught Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and the introductory theology core course Faith and Critical Reason. At St. Mary’s College of California, General Theological Seminary, and New York Theological Seminary, he has taught courses including Biblical Hebrew and The Bible and Its Interpretation: Wealth, Poverty and Economic Justice.

Ian has an MA from General Theological Seminary in Biblical Studies, and a ThM from Harvard University in Women and Gender studies. Before his career as a biblical scholar, Ian spent over twenty years enjoying a successful career as an architect and architectural illustrator, after receiving a Master in Architecture and Urban Design from Columbia University. Far from becoming disenchanted with design and illustration, though, he remains captivated with art and architecture and frequently incorporates discussions of design, art, and archeology in the classroom.

Education

• BA Washington University, 1988
• MA (Architecture) Columbia University, 1993
• MA (Biblical Studies) The General Theological Seminary, 2011
• ThM (Women and Gender Studies) Harvard University, 2012

Specialization

• Bible and Judaism and Christianity in Antiquity

Fields of Interest

• Second Temple Literature
• Gender and Sexuality
• Art and Architecture in Antiquity
• Food, Drink, and Medicine in Antiquity
• Mathematics and Astronomy in Antiquity

Teaching Competencies

• Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
• Biblical Hebrew
• New Testament
• Koine and Biblical Greek
• Early Christian History
• Women and Gender Studies in Antiquity
• Art and Architecture in the Second Temple period