معرفی
Margaret Y. MacDonald is a Professor of Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s University (Halifax), where she served as Dean of Arts from 2014 to 2020. Previously, she taught at St. Francis Xavier University and the University of Ottawa. She held the McCarthy Chair in Biblical Studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome during 2018. Her research focuses on Early Christianity’s social dynamics, particularly Pauline studies, gender roles, and children’s roles in religious contexts within the Roman world. She earned her BA (1983) with distinction from Saint Mary’s University and a DPhil (1987) from Oxford University under a Commonwealth Scholarship.
Her research interests include the Roman context of Christian origins, women and gender in early Christian communities, education systems in antiquity, and Corinthian Christianity. Current projects explore education in early Christianity and ancient Corinth’s religious landscape. She has authored/co-authored five major books and numerous articles, with a notable focus on family structures in early Christian communities and house church networks.
Her publications span socio-historical analysis of Pauline epistles, gender dynamics in early Christian communities, and children’s societal roles. Awards include the prestigious Faculty of Arts Medal and Governor General's Medal from SMU (1983). She has held significant academic leadership roles, including deanship and visiting professorships in Rome, reflecting her scholarly prominence in religious studies.
