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PD Dr. Michael Reno Jost serves as a Research Associate and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for New Testament Studies, Theological Faculty of the University of Bern. He also holds a Research Associate position at the Department of Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures, University of Pretoria (South Africa) since October 2021. His academic career includes a Habilitation at the University of Zurich (July 2024), an Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship at the University of Cambridge (2020-2022), and a doctoral degree from the University of Zurich (2018). Education: Habilitation, University of Zurich (2024) - New Testament Studies Dr. theol. (summa cum laude), University of Zurich (2018) Master's in Protestant Theology, University of Tübingen (2012) BA in Theology, Middlesex University via Theological Seminar St. Chrischona (2008) Primary School Teacher Training, Pedagogical Training Center Musegg, Lucerne (2003) Research Focus: Dr. Jost specializes in early Jewish and New Testament angelology, Dead Sea Scrolls (particularly Qumran), Johannine literature, pneumatology, and the theological works of Oscar Cullmann. His current projects include a commentary on Johannine epistles and research on the concept of spirit in antiquity. Publications & Contributions: His extensive publication record includes the monograph "Engelgemeinschaft im irdischen Gottesdienst" (2019) and numerous peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Dead Sea Discoveries and Revue de Qumrân . His research spans from liturgical communion with angels in Qumran to the theological correspondence between Bultmann and Cullmann. Professional Memberships: He is an active member of several prestigious scholarly organizations including Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS), Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), International Organization for Qumran Studies (IOQS), and Tyndale Fellowship (Cambridge).

• Early Jewish and New Testament Angelology
• Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran)
• Concept of Spirit in Antiquity
• +5 more

Frédéric Amsler serves as Full Professor of History of Christianity at the University of Lausanne's Faculty of Theology and Sciences of Religions since February 2009, following a tenure-track assistant professorship (2004-2009) at the same institution. His academic foundation includes an MA in Theology (1986) and PhD in Theology (1994) from the University of Geneva, where his doctoral dissertation provided a Commentary on the Apocryphal Acts of Philip. Prior appointments encompassed part-time assistantship to Professor François Bovon (1986-1990), Swiss National Science Foundation research grant (1990-1995), and part-time lecturing roles at Geneva's Autonomous Faculty of Protestant Theology (1995-2004) with concurrent visiting professorship at Lausanne (1995-2000). Amsler's research expertise spans Christian apocryphal literature (particularly Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles and Pseudo-Clementines), history of early Christianity including monasticism and martyrology, Q-source studies, digital ecdotics, and 19th-century theological liberalism with focus on Alfred Loisy and Adolf Harnack. His scholarly approach integrates textual criticism with historical analysis of religious identity formation, examining relationships between polytheists, Jews, and early Christians through interdisciplinary lenses that bridge philology, digital humanities, and reception history. Recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate consistent thematic focus on hermeneutical challenges in early Christian texts, comparative analyses of gnostic and pseudo-Clementine literature, and historical investigations into 19th-century Protestant figures like César Malan. The ENLAC project leadership (2017-2022) reflects his pioneering work in digital critical editions of apocryphal literature, while his scholarship on Alfred Loisy reveals sustained engagement with modernist exegesis in wartime contexts. Professor Amsler actively contributes to academic governance as Chair of the Société internationale d’études sur Alfred Loisy (since 2009) and Director of the journal Apocrypha (since 2015), following editorial board membership since 1998. His research has been supported by Swiss National Science Foundation grants including the ENLAC project (2017-2022) and earlier International Q Project participation (1998-2001). As member of the Association for the Christian Apocryphal Literature (AELAC) since 1987 (committee member since 2003), he maintains strong affiliation with UNIL's Institute for Biblical Studies (IRSB) where his office is located at Anthropole 5026.

• Christian Apocryphal Literature
• History of Early Christianity
• New Testament Exegesis
• +5 more

Simon Butticaz is an Ordinary Professor at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Sciences of the University of Lausanne and currently serves as Vice-Dean. He is affiliated with the Romand Institute of Biblical Sciences (IRSB) and focuses on New Testament exegesis and ancient Christian traditions. Specializes in Pauline literature, Lukan-Acts studies, and oral/written dynamics in antiquity Expert in cultural anthropology of early Christian communities Active in international academic societies and editorial boards His research examines identity formation, memory practices, and communication strategies in early Christianity. Recent work emphasizes colometric analysis of Paul's letters and the role of oral performance in shaping biblical texts. He has taught at universities in Lyon, Mexico City, and Antananarivo.

• New Testament Exegesis
• Biblical Sciences Methodologies
• Narrative Analysis
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Adjunct Professor Zlatko Pleše holds a dual appointment between the University of Bern's Faculty of Theology and UNC-Chapel Hill (evidenced by email). He directs research at the Institute for New Testament Studies in Bern, specializing in early Christian interactions with classical thought. His scholarly identity bridges European and American academic traditions through his Bern-based position and UNC affiliation. Research Focus: Pleše's work centers on the intersection of early Christianity with classical philosophy, particularly examining Gnostic and Hermetic traditions through the lenses of ancient rhetoric, Coptic literature, and Plutarchan Middle Platonism. His methodology emphasizes transpositional hermeneutics —analyzing how religious texts adapt across Jewish, Greek, and Egyptian cultural contexts. Key contributions include reconstructing Hermetic textual communities and decoding conceptual blending in Gnostic cosmologies. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent works reveal three dominant trajectories: (1) Hermetic-Gnostic textual analysis (6 articles), (2) cross-cultural hermeneutics between Jewish and Greek traditions (5 articles), and (3) Platonist philosophical reception (4 articles). This demonstrates consistent focus on religious syncretism in antiquity, with increasing attention to material manuscript contexts since 2010. Academic Background: Ph.D., Yale University (1996) Ph.D., University of Zagreb (1996) M.Phil., Yale University (1990) M.A., University of Zagreb (1989) B.A., University of Zagreb (1985) His landmark monograph Poetics of the Gnostic Universe: Narrative and Cosmology in the Apocryphon of John (Brill, 2006) established new frameworks for analyzing Gnostic narrative structures. As co-editor of The Other Gospels with Bart Ehrman (Oxford University Press), he made critical apocryphal texts accessible to broader audiences. Current research extends into Derveni Papyrus-Qumran comparative studies and Hermetic dualism.

• Early Christianity and Classical Culture
• Gnosticism and Hermetism
• Ancient Rhetoric and Hermeneutics
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David Hamidović is a Full Professor specializing in Jewish apocryphal literature and the history of Judaism in antiquity at the University of Lausanne's Faculty of Theology and Sciences of Religions, where he is affiliated with the Institute for Biblical Studies (IRSB). He previously served as Vice-Dean and then Dean of the Faculty. His international academic affiliations include being an associate researcher at the University of Liège (Belgium) and at the Laboratoire d'Etudes sur les Monothéismes in Paris, as well as having served as an invited professor at Yale University and Tel Aviv University. Professor Hamidović's research focuses on the History of Ancient Judaism, with particular expertise in Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish Apocrypha, Rabbinic Literature, Hebrew and Aramaic Inscriptions, and the Archaeology of ancient Synagogues. He manages the excavation of Khirbet Bet Netofa in Galilee and leads the Summer University of Oriental Languages, which teaches numerous rare languages to students worldwide. His distinctive approach combines textual analysis, epigraphy, and archaeological data to contextualize ancient Jewish culture within broader comparative frameworks. His recent publications (2021-2025) show consistent scholarly output across multiple prestigious publishers including Oxford University Press, Brepols, and Cerf. The research demonstrates deep engagement with textual analysis, historical context, linguistic studies, and archaeological evidence related to ancient Judaism. His work spans biblical interpretation, historical development of religious concepts, linguistic evolution of Hebrew, and the material culture of ancient Jewish communities. Professional recognition includes: Membership in the New York Academy of Sciences Membership in the Israel Exploration Society Membership in the American Society of Overseas Research Pensioner status at the Institut de France (Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres) Professor Hamidović served on the Human Research Ethics Committee at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne from 2014 to 2024. His linguistic expertise spans Biblical Hebrew, Mishnaic Hebrew, Talmudic Hebrew, Aramean, Classical and Postclassical Greek, Latin, Classical Ethiopic (ge'ez), Ugaritic, and West Semitic Inscriptions. His scholarly contributions include over 160 publications with significant output in both book chapters and journal articles, particularly in the journal Le Monde de la Bible.

• History of Ancient Judaism
• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Jewish Apocrypha
• +6 more