About
James Petitfils is an Associate Professor of New Testament at the Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He joined Biola's undergraduate New Testament department in 2014 after completing his PhD at UCLA in 2013. Trained in New Testament exegesis and the socio-cultural history of the Roman Mediterranean, his research focuses on storytelling in antiquity, ancient Christian martyr texts, and leadership in Mediterranean antiquity. He also holds an MA from UCLA, an MA from Talbot School of Theology, and a BA from Biola University.
Dr. Petitfils has been a pastor in the South Bay area for over 20 years, currently serving as the Beach Pastor at River Church. He actively engages in fostering families, having fostered four children in the past two years. His personal interests include surfing, family beach days, and burritos.
His scholarly work includes the book *Mos Christianorum: The Roman Discourse of Exemplarity and the Jewish and Christian Language of Leadership* (2016) and articles in journals like *Journal of Religion and Violence* and *Journal of Greco-Roman Christianity and Judaism*. He frequently presents at conferences such as the Society of Biblical Literature and the North American Patristics Society.
Areas of expertise include ancient martyrdom studies, biblical interpretation, church history, and leadership in antiquity. He is a member of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee at Biola.
