Meredith Nyberg

Academics Faculty

Job Title

Highlight

Adjunct Instructor of Biblical and Theological Studies

Started at Bethel

2004

Education

  • University of Kansas - B.F.A. in Visual Communications/Graphic Design, 1989
  • Bethel Seminary - M.Div. in Biblical Studies with Hebrew and Greek, 2011
  • University of Gloucestershire, England - Ph.D. in Old Testament Theology, 2018

Biography

Teaching Goals: Through study of the whole Bible, my goal is to help students to better understand YHWH as Father, Son, and Spirit, and to grow in relationship with Him. I desire to help students learn to ask deep questions of the text and to wrestle with possible answers in a conversational way, learning to hold both knowledge and mystery. I design my courses so that students learn to engage these ideas with mind, heart, spirit, and imagination.

Courses Taught

Bethel University: Introduction to the Bible, BIB101; Reading the Hebrew Bible, BIB212; Inquiry Seminar: God's Story/ Our Story, GES160

Bethel Seminary: Judges, Ruth, and Samuel Narratives, OT751DE; Exposition of Genesis, OT601; Old Testament: Exegetical Explorations, OT518; anticipated for summer of 2023, Seminar in Biblical Theology: Women in the Biblical Narratives BT751

Professional Organizations, Committees, and Boards

SBL, The Society of Biblical Literature

IBR, The Institute of Biblical Research

Areas of expertise

Narrative patterns in 1 Samuel

Research interests

Dissertation Topic: "The Character Spotlight Pattern: Characterization and in 1 Samuel." Using narrative criticism, I identify a pattern of three overlapping character spotlights identifying five stages in the character development of Samuel, Saul, and David with an emphasis on the recurring role of the often translated as young boy in English. Identifying this pattern reveals the purpose of the storytellers to show the character of God by exploring the challenges that He places before these three leaders, thus exposing both their allegiance or non-allegiance to God and His wider purposes for humanity.

Teaching specialty

Biblical narrative; literary patterns; Genesis; the Torah / Pentateuch; the historical books, especially 1 Samuel; Ruth; the prophetic books; the Gospels

Quote

Romans 11:33, Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!