Dr. Amanda Mbuvi | ambuvi@highpoint.edu
Assistant Professor of Religion
B.A., Philosophy and Literary Theory, Bryn Mawr College
M.T.S., Biblical Studies, Palmer Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Religion, Duke University (minors: Literature, Judaic Studies)
Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Duke University
Areas of Specialization:
Hebrew Bible
Literary and theological approaches to biblical interpretation
Concepts of identity and community
Religion and literature
Jewish studies
Courses Taught:
Old Testament Studies
Hebrew Prophets
Pentateuch
Introduction to Judaism
Biblical Hebrew for Reading
Biblical Interpretation
Psalms and Wisdom Literature
Women in the Bible
I was drawn to the Hebrew Bible because of its vivid stories and rich language, and because of the way it connects the various streams of my identity. Born into an interracial family, I grew up Jewish in the black church. In the classroom, I draw on that experience to help students encounter voices from a wide variety of perspectives, expanding their horizons while also developing their own point of view.
My research also brings together multiple streams. I approach biblical studies from an interdisciplinary perspective, engaging questions of identity and community that are prominent in both the biblical texts and contemporary conversations about how we live with those texts and with each other. My first book, Belonging in Genesis: Biblical Israel and the Politics of Identity Formation, was recently published by Baylor University Press.