Anja Marschall

Anja Marschall serves as a Research Associate at the Chair of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis under Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Schüle at the University of Leipzig's Faculty of Theology since January 2022. Previously, she worked as a Lecturer for Special Tasks at the same institution from 2017 to 2021 and received a doctoral scholarship from the Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst during her PhD studies.

Her research focuses on lament as a medium of self-reflection and religious debate in the Psalms and Book of Job, mourning in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East, women as actors in biblical narratives (particularly in the Book of Judges and Book of Judith), reception history of biblical figures in art history, and animals in the Psalms as expressions of self-perception. She has recently completed her dissertation Klage als Ausdruck und Aneignung in den Psalmen und im Hiobbuch with summa cum laude distinction and is currently working on her habilitation project examining violence by women in biblical contexts, particularly focusing on Judith and Judges 4-5, within frameworks of shame, eroticism, and power.

Her publications reveal a strong emphasis on lament literature, particularly analyzing how lament functions as both expression and appropriation in the face of suffering. Her work bridges theological interpretation with psychological and anthropological perspectives, examining how biblical texts address trauma, identity, and power dynamics. Recent articles explore connections between lament and death imagery, the role of animals in self-perception, and the social implications of lament in biblical contexts.

• Doctoral scholarship from Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst (2017-2021)
• Dissertation awarded summa cum laude (2023)
• Member of Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)
• Member of European Association of Biblical Studies (EABS)

Dr. Marschall teaches various courses including advanced seminars on women in biblical history, lament in worship, Old Testament biblical studies, and the Book of Job. Her interdisciplinary approach connects biblical scholarship with liturgical practice, psychological research on trauma, and theological anthropology. She collaborates with colleagues across disciplines, particularly with Andreas Schüle and Roderich Barth on anthropological questions related to the concept of 'soul' in biblical and theological contexts.