Good, Deirdre (Deirdre Joy Good)

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Good, Deirdre (Deirdre Joy Good)

PERSONAL:

Education: St. Andrews University, M.Theol., 1975; Homerton College, Cambridge, Cert. Ed., 1977; Union Theological Seminary, S.T.M., 1976; Harvard University Divinity School, Th.D., 1983.

ADDRESSES:

Office—General Theological Seminary, 175 9th Ave., New York 10011. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, instructor in theology, 1982-83; Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, assistant professor of Bible and religion, 1983-86, department chair, 1985-86; General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church, New York, NY, assistant professor of New Testament, 1986-87, associate professor, 1987-92, professor, 1992—. Member of board of governors, Trinity Press International, 1997-2002; member, Council of the Society of Biblical Literature, 1998-2003.

MEMBER:

Colon Cancer Alliance.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Yeaman-Moncrieffe bursary, St. Mary's College, St. Andrews University, 1971-75; German Academic Exchange Service scholarships, 1974, 1980; Union Theological Seminary fellowship, 1975-76; Clarence C. Campbell Award, Harvard University, 1978-79; International Association of University Women fellowship, 1978-79; Josephine de Karman fellowship, 1981-82; American Council of Learned Societies travel grant, 1984; National Endowment for the Humanities travel to collections grant, 1985; Theological Education Conant Board grants, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2006.

WRITINGS:

Reconstructing the Tradition of Sophia in Gnostic Literature, Scholars Press (Atlanta, GA), 1987.

Jesus the Meek King, Trinity Press International (Harrisburg, PA), 1999.

(Editor) Mariam, the Magdalen, and the Mother, Indiana University Press (Bloomington, IN), 2005.

Jesus' Family Values, Seabury Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to books, including Female and Male in Gnostic Texts, edited by K. King, Fortress, 1988; Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, edited by E. Ferguson, Garland, 1990; Auf den Spuren der Weisheit: Wegweiserin für ein neues Gottesbild, edited by V. Wodke, Herder, 1991; Cahiers de Biblica Patristica, edited by P. Maraval, Centre d'Analyse et de Documentation Patristiques, 1991; The Women's Bible Commentary, edited by S. Ringe and C. Newsome, Westminster/John Knox, 1992, revised edition, 1998; A Feminist Ecumenical Commentary: Searching the Scriptures II, edited by E. Schuessler Fiorenza, Crossroad, 1994; The HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion, edited by J. Smith, HarperSanFrancisco, 1996; Dictionary of Feminist Theologies, edited by L. Russell and S. Clarkson, Westminster/John Knox, 1996; Putting Body and Soul Together: Essays in Honor of Robin Scroggs, edited by Graydon Snyder, Alexandra Brown, and Virginia Wiles, Trinity Press International, 1997; The Macmillan Encyclopedia on Women and Religion, Macmillan, 1998; Secrets of the Code, edited by Dan Burstein, CDS Books, 2004; Secrets of Angels and Demons, edited by Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijer, CDS Books, 2004; New Proclamation Year: Easter through Pentecost 2004-2005, Fortress, 2004; Seeing Judaism Anew: Christianity's Sacred Obligation, Rowman & Littlefield, 2005; A Feminist Companion to Mariology, edited by A.J. Levine, Sheffield, 2005; Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations, edited by E. Kessler, Cambridge University Press, 2005; and Secrets of Mary Magdalene, edited by Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijer, CDS Books, 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including Second Century, Novum Testamentum, Anglican Theological Review, Sewanee Theological Review, Theology and Sexuality, and Religious Studies Review.

SIDELIGHTS:

Deirdre Good is a professor of the New Testament who has written extensively on various theological subjects. Reconstructing the Tradition of Sophia in Gnostic Literature, Good's first book, is a detailed study of how gender and sexuality are rendered in texts of the ancient religious doctrine. She also served as editor of Mariam, the Magdalen, and the Mother, a collection of essays about the biblical character of Mary Magdalene and her influence on other religious traditions. The compilation was described as "a fascinating, scholarly, yet completely accessible exploration" by a Wisconsin Bookwatch reviewer.

In Jesus the Meek King, Good discusses how the definition of the word "meek" has evolved over the centuries from its original Greek connotation and how it is interpreted in various translations of the Bible. Frances Taylor Gench remarked in a review for Interpretation that "Good's study highlights the paradox of the power of meekness and provides a compelling reconsideration of a misunderstood virtue." Good offers an interpretation of the moral standards to which the first Christian families were held in Jesus' Family Values. An Internet Bookwatch contributor appreciated the book's "firm and well-researched historical context" and Good's meticulous analysis of the "nuances of translation."