Sara Kipfer

Sara Kipfer is a Professor of Protestant Theology with a focus on Old Testament Studies at TU Dortmund University, effective February 1, 2023. She holds a Licentiate (2007), Doctorate (2013), and Habilitation (2021) from the University of Bern and Heidelberg. Her research spans extreme climate events in the southern Levant, political power dynamics in ancient Israel and Judah (10th–9th centuries BCE), and body/emotion concepts in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern iconography. Key research projects include 'Emotions in the Old Testament' (Bern) and a visiting scholar stint at the University of Chicago (2015–2016). Her work bridges biblical exegesis, environmental humanities, and reception history. Recent publications (2021–2024) address famine narratives, fear in ancient texts, and geopolitical interpretations of Samuel's narratives. She has held academic positions at Heidelberg University (2017–2022) and collaborated with institutions like Oxford's Centre for Reception History of the Bible (2011).