Amy-Jill Levine

Amy-Jill Levine serves as University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and Program in Jewish Studies.

Her educational background includes a B.A. from Smith College and advanced degrees (M.A. and Ph.D.) from Duke University.

Levine's scholarly work centers on New Testament studies from a Jewish perspective, examining the Jewish context of Jesus and early Christianity. She challenges common Christian misconceptions about Judaism and promotes interfaith understanding through rigorous biblical scholarship. Her research spans biblical interpretation, religious education, and the historical relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

Her publications demonstrate consistent scholarly output with recent work focusing on biblical narratives and their interpretation across Jewish and Christian traditions.

• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• First Jew to teach New Testament at Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute (2019)

Levine has authored or co-authored thirty books including seminal works like 'The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus' and 'Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi.' She co-edited 'The Jewish Annotated New Testament' and co-authored 'The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently.' Her scholarship bridges religious traditions while maintaining academic rigor, making significant contributions to both Jewish and Christian studies.