One of my first published books as a scholar was Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond (Wipf & Stock, 2011). In the last six years or so, I have received lots of positive feedback—more than any other piece of writing I have done to date. It feels gratifying to know it has helped lots of people who are interested in doctoral studies. The reality, though, is that the path to getting a PhD... Read more

Let me take you back 15 years. The year was 2003, and I was about halfway through Seminary (and 2 seasons into Alias). I studied for my M.Div and Th.M. at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. I chose GCTS for its emphasis on biblical languages and Christian discipleship. When I started at seminary, I didn’t have a particular vocation in mind, but I will say teaching/academia was not on my radar. Because my studies (from grade school through college) had been in... Read more

I am starting a new series called “If I Could Go Back…” I am now almost a decade into my teaching career, and it has given me a chance to look back and appreciate some things I did right, and also to consider how I could have better prepared for this vocation as teacher and researcher. In this first part, I am going back 20 years to 1998. I was a sophomore in college at Miami University (OH). First I will... Read more

It is easy to think of a seminary professor as an ivory tower intellectual with nothing to do but contemplate existence and give the occasional lecture. We do get brief moments of pensive repose, but it is a reality that seminaries and universities require faculty to commit to institutional “service.” Little did I know as an aspiring professor just how many meetings and committees there are. Currently, I serve on several permanent committees such as the library committee and the... Read more

Recently I caught wind of the Paul and Patristics Page which hosts a database of all possible citations of Paul’s letters. The site is sponsored by the University of Oxford.   Read more

When people think of the life of a professor, lecture prep, grading, and research (and meetings!) come to mind as the most time-consuming activities. Yes, these all take considerable time. But, by and large, we are able to schedule and predict this in terms of time management. What outsiders and students often don’t realize is how much time is poured into “care for students.” This is a very broad category, but includes everything from answering student questions via email, and advising... Read more

Most people know that in higher education, faculty are expected to do research and publish. Now, for seminary professors, what you do, why, and how much depends on the person and the institutional culture/regulations. Some seminaries have little to no expectation that faculty are actively publishing. In fact, some seminaries might discourage it because they would rather have the faculty member invest that time in teaching preparation and working with students. On the other end of the spectrum, I know institutions... Read more

I am beginning a new blog series: What does a seminary professor do? We will start with the most obvious answers (teach, research, etc.), and then talk about other things that occupy my time professionally. This series will be helpful to those in undergrad or grad degree programs who are considering teaching at a seminary. I Teach So, you only work, like, 12 hours a week? This kind of question comes up when I tell people I teach the equivalent of... Read more

What Did Jesus Look Like? By Dr. Joan E. Taylor I am experimenting with short (5 min) video reviews. Let me know if you like the format – and you can give comments or ask questions here on the blog, or on my FB Scholar Page: https://www.facebook.com/nijaykgupta/ Read more

For many years I have been interested in the subject of Paul as model of “pastor.” On this topic, I have appreciated James W. Thompson’s Pastoral Ministry according to Paul: A Biblical Vision (Baker, 2006) and Derek Tidball’s Ministry by the Book (IVP, 2008). Recently, editors Brian Rosner, Andrew Malone and Trevor Burke put together an essay collection on Paul as Pastor (T&T Clark, 2018). The contributors are mostly (though not exclusively) located in Australia and cover the range of Paul’s letters as well... Read more