Ronald Alan Simkins, MA, PhD

Professor

Contact

rsmkns@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Theology
DHHC - Dowling Hall/Humanities Center - 130

Ronald Alan Simkins, MA, PhD

Professor

Ronald Simkins has taught at Creighton since 1990. He a professor in Theology and Classical & Near Eastern Studies. He also directs the Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society. He completed his graduate studies at Harvard University in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization, with specialties in the history, literature, and religion of ancient Israel, Hebrew, and epigraphy. He regularly teach courses on the Hebrew Bible, archaeology, and history.
Professor Simkins is the founding and general editor of the Journal of Religion & Society, an academic, peer-review e-journal published by the Kripke Center (http://www.creighton.edu/jrs). His academic interests include creation myths, gender studies, religion and the environment, the political economy of ancient Israel, and the social and cultural world of ancient Israel. He has published broadly on all of these topics. 
Professor Simkins has also produced the digital archaeology project, The Virtual World Project (http://www.virtualworldproject.org), which enables scholars and students to take virtual tours of archaeological sites in Israel and Jordan. He, along with other colleagues, continue to contribute to the project.
A more complete listing of scholarship, teaching, and research interests can be found on my Curriculum Vitae.

Curriculum Vitae

Research Focus

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament; Creation Myths; Gender Studies; Religion and Ecology; Political Economy of Ancient Israel; Social and Cultural World of Ancient Israel; Archaeology of Israel and Jordan

Department

Theology

Position

Professor

Books

  • Creation & Ecology: The Political Economy of Ancient Israel and the Environmental Crisis. Eugene: Cascade Books, 2020. 2020
  • Creator and Creation: Nature in the Worldview of Ancient Israel. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers. Out of Print; Available online at https://creighton.academia.edu/RonSimkins. 2004
  • Yahweh’s Activity in History and Nature in the Book of Joel. Ancient Near Eastern Texts and Studies 10. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press. 1991

Articles

  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and Secularism. Edited with Patrick Murray. Available online at Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS17.html.
    17 2018
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and Globalization. Edited with Zachary B. Smith. Available online at Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS16.html.
    16 2018
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Religion, Environment, and Economy: Living in a Limited World.” Religion and Globalization.
    16, p. 165-78 2018
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Care for the Poor and Needy: The Bible’s Contribution to an Economic and Social Safety Net.”
    14, p. 4-13 2017
  • “The Bible, Religion, and the Evironment.”  Routledge Handbook of Environmental Anthropology. Edited by Helen Kopnina and Eleanor Shoreman-Ouimet. New York: Routledge., p. 144-55 2016
  • “The Bible and Anthropocentrism: Putting Humans in Their Place.” Environmental Anthropology: Critical Concepts in Anthropology. Edited by Helen Kopnina. Volume 2. London: Routledge. 2016
  • “Biblical History and Archaeology: Old Testament.” Catholic Study Bible, Third Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 33-55 2016
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Identity and the Process of Identification: An Introduction.”
    13, p. 1-4 2016
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Gender and Identity in Biblical Israel.”
    13, p. 22-34 2016
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Scientific Nonsense, Historical Fiction, and Biblical Authority: The Historical Adam and Other Misguided Dogmas.”
    11, p. 31-45 2015
  • Dialectical Anthropology
    “The Bible and Anthropocentrism: Putting Humans in Their Place.”
    38, 4, p. 397-413 2014
  • Fortress
    “Joel.” Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha. Edited by Gale A. Yee, Hugh R. Page Jr., and Matthew J. M. Coomber. , p. 837-44 2014
  • Biblical Theology Bulletin
    “The Embodied World: Creation Metaphors in the Ancient Near East.”
    44, 1, p. 40-53 2014
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “The Widow and Orphan in the Political Economy of Ancient Israel.'
    10, p. 20-33 2014
  • ASOR Blog
    “The Virtual World Project: Touring the Ancient World,” with Nicolae Roddy. Available online at http://asorblog.org/?p=4641. 2013
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    'Anthropocentrism and the Place of Humans in the Biblical Tradition.'
    9, p. 16-29 2013
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    'Visual Ambiguity in the Biblical Tradition: The Word and Image of God.'
    8, p. 27-39 2012
  • Journal of Religion & Society
    'Biblical Studies as a Secular Discipline: The Role of Faith and Theology.'
    13, p. 1-17 2011
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    'Gender, the Environment, and Sin in Genesis.'
    5, p. 45-61 2009
  • Bible Today
    'Work and Creation.'
    47, p. 225-231 2009
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    'The End of Nature: Humans and the Natural World in the History of Creation.'
    3, p. 47-65 2008
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    'An Introduction: The Legacy of Lynn White, Jr.'
    3, p. 1-4 2008
  • 'Competing Portraits of the Israelite Family.' Religion and the Family. Edited by R. A. Simkins and G. S. Risch. Omaha: Creighton University Press., p. 46-67 2008
  • 'Biblical History and Archaeology.' Catholic Study Bible, Second Edition. New York: Oxford University Press., p. 30-54 2006
  • 'Archaeology of the Bible.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 52-54 2005
  • 'Kinship in Genesis 16 and 21 and Numbers 27 and 36.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 86-88 2005
  • 'Hospitality in Genesis 18:1-15 and 19:1-11.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 90-91 2005
  • 'Honor and Shame in Genesis 34 and 1 Samuel 25.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 104-106 2005
  • 'Limited Good in Genesis 23.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 100-101 2005
  • 'Apology of David.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 149-150 2005
  • 'Traditional Tales (Gen 12:10-20; 20:1-8; 26:6-11).' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 81-82 2005
  • 'Patronage in 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 8.' Teaching the Bible: Practical Strategies for Classroom Instruction. Edited by Mark Roncace and Patrick Gray. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature., p. 158-160 2005
  • The Bible and Critical Theory
    “Family in the Political Economy of Monarchic Judah.” Available online at http://bibleandcriticaltheory.org/index.php/bct/ article/viewFile/19/6.
    1, 1 2004
  • “Marriage and Gender in the Old Testament.” Marriage in the Catholic Tradition. Edited by Todd Salzman, Thomas Kelly, and John O’Keefe. New York: Crossroads, p. 21-29 2004
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ. Edited with William L. Blizek. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS01.html.
    1 2004
  • “Gender and the Body in Ancient Israel.” Practical Theology: Perspectives from the Plains. Edited by Michael G. Lawler and Gail S. Risch. Omaha: Creighton University Press., p. 61-77 2000
  • Journal of Religion & Society
    “Teaching the Bible through the Internet: In the Classroom and at a Distance.”
    2 2000
  • Semeia
    “Case Studies from the Second Wave of Research in the Social World of the Hebrew Bible,” with Stephen L. Cook.
    87, p. 1-14 1999
  • Semeia
    “Patronage and the Political Economy of Monarchic Israel.”
    87, p. 123-44 1999
  • “Class and Gender in Early Israel.” Concepts of Class in Ancient Israel. South Florida Studies in the History of Judaism; The Hebrew Scriptures and Their World, 201. Edited by M. Sneed. Atlanta: Scholars Press., p. 71-87 1999
  • “Gender Construction in the Yahwist Creation Myth.” Genesis: A Feminist Companion to the Bible (Second Series). Edited by A. Brenner. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press., p. 32-52 1998
  • Bible Today
    “The Day of the Locusts: The Environment in the Book of Joel.”
    33, p. 23-27 1995
  • Semeia
    “Return to Yahweh: Honor and Shame in Joel.”
    68, p. 41-54 1994
  • Catholic Biblical Quarterly
    “God, History, and the Natural World in the Book of Joel.”
    55, p. 435-52 1993

Publications

  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    “Introduction.” Religion and Globalization.
    16, p. 1-3 2018

Editing and Reviews

  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and Politics. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS14.html
    14 2017
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and Identity. Edited with Thomas M. Kelly. Available online at Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS13.html.
    13 2016
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and the Sciences: Opportunities and Challenges. Edited with Thomas M. Kelly. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS11.html.
    11 2015
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    The Bible, the Economy, and the Poor. Edited with Thomas M. Kelly. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS10.html.
    10 2014
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    The Greening of the Papacy. Edited with John J. O’Keefe. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS09.html.
    9 2013
  • Biblical Theology Bulletin
    Review of Were the Jews a Mediterranean Society?, by Seth Schwartz.
    42, p. 101-102 2012
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and the Visual. Edited with Wendy M. Wright. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/toc/SS08.html.
    8 2012
  • Catholic Biblical Quarterly
    Review of Scribal Culture and the Making of the Hebrew Bible, by Karel van der Toorn.
    73, p. 142-144 2011
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Women, Gender, and Religion. Edited with Susan Calef. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/ JRS/toc/SS05.html.
    5 2009
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    Religion and the Environment. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/ JRS/toc/SS03.html.
    3 2008
  • Catholic Biblical Quarterly
    Review of God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation, by Terence E. Fretheim.
    69, p. 115-116 2007
  • Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series
    The Contexts of Religion and Violence. Available online at http://moses.creighton.edu/ JRS/toc/SS02.html.
    2 2007
  • Catholic Biblical Quarterly
    Review of When the Great Abyss Opened: Classic and Contemporary Readings of Noah's Flood, by J. David Pleins.
    67, p. 698-699 2005

Presentations

  • "Working with the Composition of the Pentateuch." Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountains Great Plains Region of the AAR/SBL, Iliff School of Theology, April 1-2, 2016. 2016
  • "Megaliths to Mosques: Touring Levantine Sacred Sites through the Virtual World Project," with Nicolae Roddy. Missouri Valley History Conference, Omaha, March 3-5, 2016. 2016
  • "Social Security, Insurance, and Bankruptcy: Is There a Safety Net in the Biblical Tradition?" Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, November 20-24, 2015. 2015
  • "Sabbath and Covenant in Genesis 9." Presentation at Ahavas Chesed Synagogue, Mobile, AL, during the annual meeting of the Council of Centers of Jewish- Christian Relations. 2014
  • "Do the Laws Concerning the Widow and Orphan Help?" Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Baltimore, November 23-26, 2013. 2013
  • "Poverty and Forgiveness of Debt in Ancient Israel." Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature, Baltimore, November 23-26, 2013. 2013
  • "A Non-Anthropocentric Bible: Putting Humans in Their Place." The Bible and Justice; a conference at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA, May 30June 2, 2013. 2013
  • "Writing an Academic Proposal." Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountains Great Plains Region of the AAR/SBL, Denver Seminary, April 5-6, 2013. 2013
  • "Reciprocity and Solidarity in the Hebrew Bible." Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountains Great Plains Region of the AAR/SBL, Brigham Young University, March 23-24, 2012. 2012
  • "Biblical Studies as a Secular Discipline: Reflections of a Protestant Scholar on a Catholic Theology Faculty." Regional Senior Scholar address given at the Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountains Great Plains Region of the AAR/SBL, Iliff School of Theology, March 18-19, 2011. 2011
  • "How is Sin Like a Wife? Desire and Ruling in Genesis." Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountains Great Plains Region of the AAR/SBL, Regis University, March 6-7, 2009. 2009