Curriculum Vitae
James Robert Adair, Jr.

Contact Information

E-mail: jadair@emory.edu

Education

• Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas (major: Old Testament; minor: New Testament)--1992
  • dissertation title: "A Methodology for Determining the Textual Variants Which Are Relevant for Reconstructing the Original Text of the Old Testament: A Case Study of 1 Samuel 3," supervised by Dr. Dan Kent, Professor of Old Testament
• M.A., University of Stellenbosch (Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies), South Africa--1993
  • thesis title: "Reconstructing 1 Samuel Chapter 3," supervised by Dr. Johann Cook, Merit Associate Professor in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary--1985
• Hons.-B.A., University of Stellenbosch (Department of Semitic Languages and Cultures)--1989
• B.S., Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas (major: Computer and Information Sciences; minor: Math)--1980
• Study, Rice University, Houston, Texas--1978-79

Awards and Achievements

• Project Director, Lilly Endowment, Inc., Grant for development of ATLAS Journal Digitization Project, 1999
• Recipient and Coordinator, Society of Biblical Literature Technology Grant for development of TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism, 1998
• Technology Coordinator, Electronic Book Technologies Education Grant for purchase of software to be used in SELA Electronic Journals Project (co-sponsored by Scholars Press and Emory University Libraries), 1996
• Technology Coordinator, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant for development of SELA Electronic Journals Project (co-sponsored by Scholars Press and Emory University Libraries), 1995
• Who's Who in Religion--1992
• Outstanding Young Men of America--1985
• Brown Scholarship, Rice University--1978-79
• National Merit Scholar--1978

Teaching Experience

• Adjunct Professor, Mercer University--1996-present

  courses:

  Old Testament Introduction New Testament Introduction

• Adjunct Professor, Texas Christian University--1993

  course:

  Introduction to Religion: The Bible

• Teaching Fellow, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary--1986-88, 1990-91

  courses:

  Old Testament Survey I (Genesis - Esther) Old Testament Survey II (Job - Malachi) Elementary Hebrew I

• Lecturer, Baptist Theological College, Cape Town (South Africa)--1988-89

  courses:

  Old Testament Survey I (Genesis - Esther) Old Testament Exegesis: Psalms Reading Course: Exegesis of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi New Testament Survey I (Matthew - Acts) New Testament Exegesis: The Gospel of John Advanced Greek Exegesis: Jude and James Reading Course: Exegesis of John History of the Early Church (to A.D. 600) Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics

Research and Publications

• Editor of the Society of Biblical Literature Text-Critical Studies monograph series, 1997-.
• Founder and General Editor of TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism, 1996-.
• Co-Editor of "Offline" column, Religious Studies News, 1995-.
• Technical Editor of SELA Electronic Journals Project, 1995-1998.
• Managing Editor of TELA: The Scholars Press World Wide Web Site, 1994-1998.

• Determining Significant Textual Variants in 1 Samuel 3: A Methodological Study. Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages Supplementary Series. (Forthcoming 2000).
• "Light from Below: Canonical and Theological Implications of Textual Criticism," Old Testament Essays 11 (1998).
• "TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism: A Model for Successful Electronic Publishing," Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 24 (1998).
• "'Literal' and 'Free' Translations: A Proposal for a More Descriptive Terminology," Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 23 (1997): 143-171.
• "TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism: A Modern Experiment in Studying the Ancients," Journal of Electronic Publishing 3 (1997).
• "Abdon," "Alalakh," "Codex Sinaiticus," "Hexapla," "Jesse," "Man of God," "Muratorian Fragment," "Oracle," "Nash Papyrus," "Sackcloth," "Uncial," Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, forthcoming).
• "Old and New in Textual Criticism: Similarities, Differences, and Prospects for Cooperation," TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 1 (1996).
• "A Methodology for Using the Versions in the Textual Criticism of the Old Testament," Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 20 (1994): 111-142.

• Review of The Leningrad Codex: A Facsimile Edition, by David Noel Freedman, ed., et al., (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998; Leiden: Brill, 1998), in TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 3 (1998).
• Review of A Text-Critical Study of the Epistle of Jude, by Charles Landon, JSNTS 135 (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996), in TC: A Journal of Bibl ical Textual Criticism 2 (1997).
• Review of Books and Readers in the Early Church: A History of Early Christian Texts, by Harry Y. Gamble (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), in TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 2 (1997).
• Review of New Testament Textual Criticism, Exegesis and Church History, ed. by B. Aland and J. Delobel (Kampen: Kok Pharos, 1994), in TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism 1 (1996).
• Review of Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, by Emanuel Tov (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992; Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum, 1992), in Critical Review of Books in Religion 8 (1995): 107-108.
• Review of Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions, by G. I. Davies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991), in Biblical Archaeologist 57 (1994): 247.

• Proof reader for the Comparative Edition of the Syriac Gospels, edited by George Kiraz (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1995).
• Collator, International Greek New Testament Project (in progress).
• Research Assistant, Qumran Database Project, University of Stellenbosch (supervisor: Johann Cook)--1988-89.
• Research Assistant to Johann Cook in preparation of A Computerized Database for the Qumran Biblical Scrolls (Stellenbosch: University of Stellenbosch, forthcoming).

Modern Research Languages: German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian

Ancient Research Languages: Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, Ugaritic

Leadership and Participation in Scholarly Conferences and Other Activities

• Member of Steering Committee, Electronic Standards for Biblical Language Texts Seminar, Society of Biblical Literature, 1996-present.
• Founder and Listowner of tc-list, an electronic academic discussion list of biblical textual criticism, 1995-present.
• Member of Steering Committee, Computer Assisted Research Group, Society of Biblical Literature, 1995-present.

• "A Report on the ATLAS Journal Encoding Project," presentation at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting 1999, Computer Assisted Research Group.
• "Promises and Possibilities of Electronic Publications," paper read at the Religion in the American South conference 1999, Emory University.
• "God's Word in 3D Color with Digital Sound," "Buckets for the Well," seminars led at the Equip '99 Conference of the San Antonio Baptist Association meeting 1999, San Antonio, Texas.
• "The ATLAS Project of the Center for Electronic Texts in Religion: 50 Years of 50 Journals," paper read at the Research Libraries Group Forum: Aspects of Digital Preservation and Archiving meeting 1999, Emory University.
• "The ATLAS Project: An Online Religion Journal Collection for Scholars and Teachers," Diktuon column, ATLA Newsletter, 1999.
• Panelist, Electronic Standards for Biblical Language Texts Seminar, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 1997.
• Panelist, New Tools for Biblical Research, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 1996, Computer Assisted Research Group.
• Panelist, Texts and Standards: Reports, Recommendations and an Example, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting 1996, Computer Assisted Research Group/Biblical Lexicography Consultation.
• "Light from Below: Canonical and Theological Implications of Textual Criticism," paper read at the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion annual meeting 1996, Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament section.
• "Old and New in Textual Criticism: Similarities, Differences, and Prospects for Cooperation," paper read at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting 1995, New Testament Textual Criticism section.
• Participant, Center for Electronic Texts in the Humanities Summer Seminar 1995, Princeton University.
• "'Literal' and 'Free' Translations: A Proposal for a More Descriptive Terminology," paper read at the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies annual meeting 1994, ASOR section.
• "A Methodology for Using the Versions in the Textual Criticism of the Old Testament," paper read at the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting 1993, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible section.
• Panelist in discussion of Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting 1992, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible section.

Professional and Service Organizations

• President, Association of Peer-Reviewed Electronic Journals in Religion, 1999-
• Society of Biblical Literature
• American Schools of Oriental Research
• International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies
• Amnesty International

Work History

• Director, ATLA Center for Electronic Resources in Theology and Religion, Atlanta, 1999-
• Manager of Information Technology Services, Scholars Press, Atlanta, 1994-1998
• Adjunct Professor, Mercer University, Macon, 1996-present
• Adjunct Professor, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, 1993
• Associate Pastor, Primera Iglesia Bautista, Fort Worth, 1986-88, 1990-1994
• Math/Science Teacher, New Lives School, Fort Worth--1992-1994
• Teaching Fellow, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth--1986-88, 1990-91
• Lecturer, Baptist Theological College, Cape Town, 1988-89
• Private Computer Consultant, Fort Worth--1982-88
• Research Analyst, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio--1984
• Systems Programmer, Datapoint Corp., San Antonio--1978-80, 1981-82
• Research Analyst, Resource Logic, Inc., San Antonio--1980-81