Michael Barram  |  Interests  |  Scholarship  |  Service  

Interests

• Biblical economic values
  I am interested in biblical and theological perspectives on economic justice, wealth, poverty, and inequality, and their implications for Christian behavior and decision making. I enjoy exploring these topics with students in my "Wealth and Poverty in the Bible" course, and I spent 2007-08 on sabbatical in Nicaragua preparing for writing a book on the subject (working title: "My Brother's Keeper: The Strange World of Biblical Economic Values").
• Missional Interpretation of the Bible (Missional Hermeneutics)
  I am interested in readings of the Bible that explore the hermeneutical dynamics and implications of the missional vocation and location of the interpreting community. My initial work in this area culminated in my dissertation (published as Mission and Moral Reflection in Paul), and I have continued to work on these issues over the past several years as part of the Gospel and Our Culture Network's "GOCN Forum on Missional Hermeneutics" at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meetings.
• Paul's Letters and Theology
  My graduate training and dissertation focused on the ministry, letters, and thought of Paul the Apostle. I still enjoy engaging this fascinating and controversial figure and the texts attributed to him.