Joseph Marchal :: Profile

Joseph Marchal

Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

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NQ 224
(765) 285-1240

Fax: 285-8980

Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306

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Joseph Marchal received his Ph.D. in biblical studies from the Graduate Theological Union of Berkeley (California), after graduating with a master's in New Testament/early Christianity and women's studies in religion (from Harvard) and majoring as an undergraduate in theology and gender studies (at Notre Dame). Having taught at a number of schools (Grinnell, Cal State-Northridge, Austin, and Colby colleges) prior to joining the faculty at BSU, Dr. Marchal's teaching and research interests include (but are not limited to) biblical studies and critical theories of interpretation, especially in those places where dynamics of gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and empire intersect. His dissertation, on feminist rhetorical analysis of Pauline letters in the contexts of Greco-Roman views of the military and friendship, was published in 2006 by the Society of Biblical Literature and Brill Publishers. A second book titled The Politics of Heaven: Women, Gender, and Empire in the Study of Paul (Fortress, Fall 2008) shows how biblical studies must learn to engage the interwoven challenges and opportunities of feminist studies, postcolonial studies, and Roman imperial studies. Dr. Marchal's articles and reviews appear in a number of edited volumes and prominent journals, including the Journal for the Study of the New Testament, the Journal of Biblical Literature, Biblical Interpretation, Bible and Critical Theory, SBL Forum, the Review of Biblical Literature, Interpretation, and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion (which honored him with their best new scholar award in Fall 2006). He continues to serve in a variety of capacities in international professional organizations and to teach, research, and advise in the areas of feminist, postcolonial, and queer approaches to religious studies.