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Terry Giles

  • Professor
    Theology Department
  • Professor
    Pastoral Studies

As Professor of Theology at Gannon University, I teach courses on Bible, especially Hebrew Bible, and contemporary Protestantism. Biblical studies is my passion. I love everything about the discipline. My involvment in contemporary Protestant studies allows me to investigate not only the ancient formation and history of the biblical text but also the changing manner in which the Bible is used as a sacred text.

Erie is my home and although my profession has literally taken me around the world, I can not imagine living anywhere else. Sailing on the Lake and enjoying some of the world's best sunsets is matched by the gorgeous colors of fall and the brilliant white of fresh snow in winter. Erie is a great place to live and a great place to go to school.

 

 

  • Hebrew Bible: Torah                                       
  • Hebrew Bible: Prophets                                      
  • Hebrw Bible: Writings                                                             
  • Old Testament Prophets                                               
  • Biblical Wisdom Literature                                                                                                     
  • Introduction to Sacred Scripture                                 
  • Protestant Tradition                                                      
  • Biblical Hebrew                                                               
  • Hebrew Reading
  • Israel: Covenant, Election and Promise
  • Ph.D. Interdisciplinary, Michigan State University: 1989
  • Visiting Research Student, Hebrew University of Jerusalem: 1985-1986
  • Master of Theology, Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary: 1986
  • Archaeological Field Work: Tel Aphek, Tel Aviv University: 1984
  • Master of Divinity, Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary: 1981
  • Bachelor of Arts, Grand Rapids Baptist College: 1978

In addition to serving at Gannon University, Dr. Giles has spent summers teaching as visiting faculty in England, Thailand, and Ethiopia and has been involved in archaeological excavations in Israel and Jordan. He serves as international external reader for doctoral dissertations and has consulted editorial boards and science foundations, reviewing proposed publications and applications.

  • Society of Biblical Literature: 1987-Present
  • Steering Committee for Consultation on “Performance Criticism of the Bible” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Conference: 2007 -Present
  • President: Eastern Great Lakes Region of the Society of Biblical Literature: 2004-2005                                                                              
  • Vice President: Eastern Great Lakes Region of the Society of Biblical Literature: 2003-2004
  • Executive Secretary: Eastern Great Lakes Region of the Society of Biblical Literature: 2000-2003
  • Host for the Eastern Great Lakes Region of the Society of Biblical Literature (April, 1997)
  • Old Testament editor of the Proceedings of the Eastern Great Lakes
  • and Midwest Biblical Societies:1997-1999
  • Guest Lecturer:Northampton University College, Northampton England: 2000
  • Khirbet Iskander Archeological Consortium: 1997-2000
  • Academic Textbook Authors Association: 1999-2001
  • Judge for the McCreary Award:  2000-2001                                                                                                                            
  • Mideast Honors Association: 1996-1998
  • Translation Consultant: Bibles International, Tengedie Bible Project: 1989-1992 Consultant for 1 and 2 Samuel:1996
  • Guest Excavator: Tel Jawa: 1993
  • Guest Lecturer: IEC Bible College Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: 1991
  • Guest Lecturer: Southeast Asian Baptist Seminary, Bangkok, Thailand: 1990

Books:

  • The Naomi Story - the Book of Ruth: From Gener to Politics, Terry Giles and William Doan (Eugene OR: Wipf and Stock, 2016).
  • An Introduction to the Samaritan Pentateuch: Its Origin, History, and Significance for Biblical Studies Terry Giles and Robert T. Anderson (Atlanta: SBL, 2012)
  • There’s a Hole in the Sky: Tracking Down God in the Company of the De-Churched, Terry Giles (Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, 2011)
  • A Doubter’s Guide to the Bible, Terry Giles (Nashville: Abingdon, 2009). Kindle edition released April 2010
  • Twice Used Songs: Performance Criticism of the Songs of Ancient Israel, Terry Giles and William Doan (Peabody MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008; 2nd edition Baker Academic Books 2010)
  • A Doubter’s Guide to Heaven, Terry Giles (Nashville: Abingdon, 2007)
  • Prophets, Performance and Power, Terry Giles and Bill Doan (New York: T and T Clark, 2005)
  • A Tradition Kept: An Introduction to the Sacred and Religious Literature of the Samaritans, Terry Giles and Robert T. Anderson (Peabody MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005; 2nd edition Baker Academic Books 2010)
  • The Keepers: An Introduction to the History and Culture of the Samaritans, Terry Giles and Robert T. Anderson (Peabody MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002; 2nd edition Baker Academic Books 2010)
  • Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Bible, Terry Giles, 2nd edition, (Erie, PA: TDLC, 1999)

Anthology Contributions, Book Chapters, Encyclopedia Articles:

  • “Performance Criticism of the Hebrew Prophets,” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets, ed. Mark Boda and J. Gordon McConville (Issaquah, WA: IVP, 2012) 578-83
  • “The Samaritan Pentateuch,” Terry Giles and Alan Crown, New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. Katherine Doob Sakenfeld, Samuel E. Balentine, Kah-Jin Jeffrey Kuan, and Eileen Schuller (Nashville: Abingdon, 2009) 73-74
  • “The Samaritans in the Time of Jesus,” Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus, ed. Craig Evans (New York: Routledge, 2008) 539-542.
  • “From the Prophetic Performer to the Scribal Performer,” Terry Giles and William Doan, Text and Presentation: 2004 ed. Stratos Constantinidis (The Comparative Drama Conferences Series 1; McFarland and Company: London, 2005) 199-209.
  • “The Samaritans,” The Archaeology of the Levant, edited by Suzanne Richard (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2003)

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles:

  • “Performance Criticism of the Hebrew Bible,” Terry Giles and William Doan, Religion Compass (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2008)
  • “The Song of Asaph: A Performance-Critical Analysis of 1 Chronicles 16:8-36,” Terry Giles and Bill Doan, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 70.1 (2008) 29-43
  •  “Why Biblical Studies?: Presidential Address 2005,” Terry Giles, Proceedings: Eastern Great Lakes and Midwest Biblical Societies  25 (2005)
  • “The Songs of Israel: Exodus 15:1-18,” Terry Giles and William Doan, Proceedings: Eastern Great Lakes and Midwest Biblical Societies 25 (2005)
  • “A Great Work Considered,” Terry Giles, The Bishop Michael J. Murphy Lecture Series (www.icmeriecounty.com, Oct, 2004)
  • “Masking God: The Role of Ritual Masks in the Religion(s) of Ancient Israel,” Terry Giles and Bill Doan, Text and Presentation 23 (2003)
  • “Masking God: the Application of Drama Theory to Biblical Texts,” Terry Giles and William Doan, Proceedings of the Eastern and Midwest Regions of the Society of Biblical Literature 22 (2002)
  • "Prophecy and Theater," Terry Giles and William Doan Journal of Religion and Society 2 (2000).
  •  “Can You Get there From Here?: A Review of the Journey Taken by a Private University into the World of Marketing,” Terry Giles and Anne O’Neill-Klemensic,  Symposium Proceedings (American Marketing Association, Nov 1999)
  • “Of Villains and Victims,” The Bible Today 36 (July / August, 1998)
  • “In the Name of the LORD: Two Samaritan Plaques,” Proceedings of the Eastern and Midwest Regions of the Society of Biblical Literature 17 (1997)
  • “Samaritan Torah Scroll Cases,” Proceedings of the Eastern and Midwest Regions of the Society of Biblical Literature 16 (1996)
  • “The Chamberlain - Warren Samaritan Inscription: CW 2472,” Journal of Biblical Literature  114 (Spring 1995)
  • “A Note, on the Vocation of Amos in 7: 14,” Journal of Biblical Literature, 111 (Winter 1992)
  • “ld and  Nwyb)” The Poor and the Needy in the Book of Amos,” The Baptist Review of Theology, 1 (Oct., 1991)
  • “Knowledge as a Boundary in the Organization of Experience,” Irish Biblical Studies, 13 (June 1991)
  • “The Dual Use of mwq in Amos,” Irish Biblical Studies, 12 (June 1990)
  • “What Did the Fathers Know?  A Discussion of Deuteronomy 8:3,16,” Proceedings of the Eastern and Midwest Regions of the Society of Biblical Studies, 10 (Nov., 1990)
  • “Amos and Voluntary Social Movements: Prophetic Pronouncement as Ideology,” For a Testimony: Essays in Honor of John H. Wilson, ed.  Michael Haykin (Toronto: Central Baptist Seminary, 1989)
  •  “An Investigation of Amos by Means of the Voluntary Social Movement,” Proceedings of the Midwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature, 8 (Nov., 1988)

 

Dr. Giles is currently engaged in research on the conversational prayers of the Hebrew Bible.

Terry Giles

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Office: PC 2213

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