Current Ph.D. Students at the Trinity Centre for Biblical Studies

Irene Barbotti

Ph.D. Student
My project is titled: Beatitudes and Woes in the Synoptic Tradition: a Catalogue of the Q-Source? I graduated in Philosophy (BA, MA) at Università degli Studi (Milan) and I am now a Ph.D. Researcher in the field of the New Testament (Religious Studies), with a particular focus in the range of historical-critical studies and two-sources hypothesis criticism. The goal of this research is threefold: 1. it aims to deepen the complementary value of the sets of beatitudes and woes attested by Matthew and Luke; 2. it attempts to reconstruct the hypothetical Q-catalogue that may originated these sets of sayings; 3. it investigates their peculiar use in the narratological structures of these two gospels.

 Supervisor: Prof. Ben Wold

Simon Brummer

Maicol Cortes:

Ph.D. Students 
My project examines the eschatological war motif in Revelation and the War Scroll (1QM). I am particularly interested in liturgical patterns in the depiction of battle and conflict. I study the genre of both texts, as well as the purpose they had in their respective communities. Finally, I seek to compare these documents on different levels. Before coming to Ireland to pursue doctoral studies in ancient Judaism and early Christianity, I studied an MA in Jewish studies and Hebrew language at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MA at the University of Lorraine France. I am the recipient of the Trinity PhD Research Award.

Supervisor: Prof. Ben Wold

Ziwei Lin

Ph.D. Student

My project, Sacred Spaces and Cinematic Places: A Spatial-Theological Reading of David’s Rise in Bible and Film, investigates the spatial elements in the narrative of David’s anointing and his confrontation with Goliath (1 Samuel 16–17) in dialogue with their visual representation in selected film adaptations. While much scholarship has examined David’s kingship and divine election, the spatial dimension of his rise invites further exploration, particularly in relation to visual media. Combining spatial theory, narrative criticism, and film theory, this research adopts a cross-disciplinary approach to explore how sacred texts are shaped and reshaped across different films, and how space functions as a vital means of theological and narrative expression in both ancient and modern storytelling. I hold an MA in the Bible and the Ancient Near East from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MFA in Television, Film and Theatre Production from California State University, Los Angeles.

Supervisor: Prof. David Shepherd

Cameron Mack

Ph.D Student

I am working towards developing a hermeneutics of narrative formation, with which I intend to read 1 Samuel. By drawing on the work of Paul Ricoeur and those who have applied his insights within literary criticism, I aim to build a methodology which can understand how biblical narrative texts (specifically Samuel) generate a ‘world beyond the text’ which the reader can enter and explore and which, through prolonged imaginative contact, can reshape the internal

Supervisor: Prof. David Shepherd

Ivan Petrovski:

Ph.D. Student
My research will examine the role and character of God as revealed in the book of Samuel by focusing on two themes present in this book: hearing (God’s voice) and (divine) silence. The primary attention will be given to the eight divine/prophetic oracles in which God either directly, or indirectly (through a prophet), addresses individuals (Eli, Saul and David) and the nation of Israel. The fact that the role of God and His character in the book of Samuel have not been fully explored from the perspective of God’s voice/silence suggests that this thesis fulfils an obvious need from the perspective of the academic study of the book of Samuel.

Supervisor: Prof. David Shepherd

Jadesmon Saragih

Ph.D. Student
My research is an investigation into the reception of destruction of Jerusalem in Luke’s special material. It is driven first by an interest in the reception and place of Luke in light of the second century Marcionite controversy. The debate on the relationship between Luke and Marcion’s Gospel suggests that more adequate attention to the sources of Luke and assessment of its integrity and redaction are required. We not only recognize the impact of Marcion but also consider the background of such a movement to move away from Jewish roots. This study attempts to clarify the interpretation of the event as an identity formation of the early church through the use of destruction and punishment material.

Supervisor: Prof. Ben Wold

Jesse Sykes:

Ph.D. Students
My project is on 'The Poor in Spirit in the Gospel of Matthew: Poverty and Formations of the Self in Second Temple Texts'. I am focused on the meaning of Matthew's phrase 'poor in spirit'. By modifying a Greek term typically reserved as a reference to material poverty with the phrase in spirit, Matthew has drawn upon a deep exegetical stream not only within Second Temple Jewish texts but also within ancient Greek texts that develops various models of subjectivity to explore the human condition (sometimes by commoditizing the self). My research explores Matthew within the context of these diverse Second Temple Jewish models of self (with special focus on 4QInstruction and the Hodayot).

Supervisor: Prof. Ben Wold

Krueger Kristanto Tumiwa:

Ph.D. Student
My training includes studies at the Indonesian Christian University of Tomohon and Duta Wacana Christian University Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Currently I am assistant professor in New Testament Studies at State Christian Institute of Manado. My Ph.D. explores economics and food insecurity in the ancient Levant and particularly ways this may be reflected in Matthew’s Gospel, e.g., the petition for bread in the Lord’s Prayer (6:11) and also Matt. 25:35-46.

Supervisor: Prof. Ben Wold

Hairuo Wang

Ph.D. Student
My research aims to shed light on the Syrophoenician woman, a marginal biblical character who appears in the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, and in other early Christian writings, such as the pseudo-Clementine literature. In my research, I apply the model of intersectionality as an analytical framework to examine the Syrophoenician woman’s complex social identities, and to visualize how different literary representations of the woman have epitomized changes in her social locations as perceived by the authors. Prior to my beginning as a Ph.D. student, I read for the M.A. in New Testament at Yale Divinity School and the M.Sc. in Biblical Studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Supervisor: Dr Danielle Pevarello

Kyle Young

Ph.D. Student
My research focuses on analysing whether isomorphism uniquely characterises Aquila and Targum Onqelos’ translation techniques in the context of other ancient translations and translation characteristics. I hope to shed further light on the historical association between Aquila and Targum Onqelos and to consider whether the καίγε tradition is an exclusively Greek or perhaps multilingual phenomenon.

Supervisor: Prof. David Shepherd