James R. Strange

James R. Strange is the Charles Jackson Granade and Elizabeth Donald Granade Professor in New Testament at Samford University’s Howard College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the archaeology of Palestine during the Hellenistic to Byzantine periods, early Christianity, and post-biblical Judaisms. He directs the Shikhin Excavation Project in Israel and teaches courses on New Testament, ancient Greco-Roman religions, and Palestinian archaeology.

Education:

• BA in Classics, Furman University
• MDiv, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• MA in Formative Christianity and Judaism, University of South Florida
• PhD in New Testament and Formative Christianity, Emory University

Research Interests: Strange explores intersections between material culture and religious practices in antiquity. His work emphasizes how archaeological findings illuminate early Christian communities, Jewish practices, and socio-political dynamics in Roman Palestine. He actively participates in field excavations and integrates textual and artifact analyses.

Publications: Recent works include co-editing Galilee in the Late Second Temple and Mishnaic Periods (2015) and authoring The Moral World of James (2010). His research spans from early Christian basilica architecture (2000) to regional socio-economic studies of Galilee.

Awards:

• 2015 Dean’s Award for Research
• Multiple Innovative Technology Grants

Grants & Projects: Received funding for technological integration in teaching and archaeological fieldwork. Collaborates with Jennifer Rahn on pedagogical innovations. Leads the Shikhin Excavation Project, focusing on rural Galilean sites.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Shikhin Excavation Project, engaging students and international scholars in fieldwork and post-excavation analysis.