Jan Rüggemeier

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Jan Rüggemeier holds dual academic appointments as a Researcher at the University of Bern's Institute for New Testament Studies (since 2021) and as Junior Professor for New Testament at the University of Bonn's Protestant Theological Faculty (appointed 2021). His academic trajectory includes positions as Senior Lecturer at the University of Zurich (2018-2020) and Postdoctoral Researcher at Bern. His theological education includes studies at Heidelberg, Tübingen, and Oxford, culminating in a First Theological Exam (2007).

Research interests focus on methodological innovations in biblical interpretation:

• Cognitive-narratological approaches to New Testament texts, particularly Markan Christology
• Application of spatial theory (Raumkonzeption) to Pauline literature
• Social history reconstructions of early Christian communities in urban contexts
• Interdisciplinary integration of hermeneutics, narratology, and exegetical practice

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on narrative methodology applied to New Testament texts, with recent works emphasizing cognitive frameworks (2019-2021), spatial analysis (2018-2020), and social-historical reconstructions of early Christianity. Article themes evolved from foundational methodological studies (2017) toward applications in Markan theology, Pauline networks, and Hellenistic urban contexts.

Awards and grants include:

• Postdoc Forschungskredit (University of Zurich, 2020)
• Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise (2019)
• Armin Schmitt Award for Biblical Studies (2017)
• German Academic Scholarship (2003-2007)

Professional memberships include the Zurich Center for the Ancient World, Society of Biblical Literature, and European Narratology Network. He co-directs research projects on cognitive linguistics and New Testament narrative, having organized international conferences including the St. Andrews-Zurich Seminar on biblical canons (2019).