Leonard J . Greenspoon, BA, PhD

Professor

Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization

Contact

ljgrn@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Theology
Classics
Classical and Near Eastern Studies
Klutznick
DHHC - Dowling Hall/Humanities Center - 207

Leonard J . Greenspoon, BA, PhD

Professor

Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization

Leonard Greenspoon was born in Richmond, VA.  He received his BA and MA from the University of Richmond in classical studies.  After teaching elementary school for two years, he enrolled at Harvard from which he received a PhD.  He taught religious studies for 20 years at Clemson University and then came to Creighton University, where he has been on the faculty for two decades.  He teaches in the Department of Theology and the Program in Classical & Near Eastern Studies.  He also holds the Klutznick Chair in Jewish Civilization.  Greenspoon is married with two daughters and two grandchildren.  He has published or edited over 30 books and has about 300 articles/book chapters/major encyclopedia entries in press.  He has edited or co-edited three journals and served as an officer of an international scholarly organization.  He is active in the Omaha Jewish community especially in connection with adult education.  He has spoken widely to scholarly and popular audiences in over 30 countries on four continents.  In recognition of these activities, he was honored with a Festschrift in summer 2018.

Teaching Interests

  • Ancient language, 2nd Temple Judaism, versions (translations) of the Bible

Research Focus

Hellenistic Judaism, Biblical Studies,  Jewish Studies, Bible versions (translations), religion and popular culture

Department

Fine & Performing Arts

Position

Professor

Publications

  • Old Testament abstracts
    Greenspoon Leonard J., Biblical Theology
    47:2, p. 556 - 559 2024
  • Greenspoon L, The story of myth 2019
  • Greenspoon L, Gospels before the book 2019
  • Greenspoon L.J, White, Eric Marshall. Editio princeps: a history of the Gutenberg Bible 2018
  • Greenspoon L, Editio princeps: a history of the Gutenberg Bible 2018
  • Greenspoon L, Labourers in the vineyard of the Lord: scholarship and the making of the King James Version of the Bible 2018
  • Greenspoon L, The Jewish Bible: a material history 2018
  • Greenspoon L.J, Stern, David. The Jewish Bible: a material history.(Brief article) 2018
  • Greenspoon L.J, Champion, Craige B. The peace of the gods: elite religious practices in the Middle Roman Republic.(Book review) 2018
  • Greenspoon L, The peace of the gods: elite religious practices in the Middle Roman Republic 2018
  • Greenspoon L, Religion and popular culture in America 2017
  • Greenspoon L, The king and the land: a geography of royal power in the biblical world 2017
  • Greenspoon L.J, Russell, Stephen C.: The king and the land: a geography of royal power in the biblical world 2017
  • Greenspoon L.J, Barton, Carlin A.: Imagine no religion: how modern abstractions hide ancient realities 2017
  • Greenspoon L, Imagine no religion: how modern abstractions hide ancient realities 2017
  • Greenspoon L.J, Mroczek, Eva. The literary imagination in Jewish antiquity.(Brief article) 2017
  • Greenspoon L, The literary imagination in Jewish antiquity 2017
  • Greenspoon L, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the developmental composition of the Bible 2015
  • Greenspoon L.J, Ulrich, Eugene. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the developmental composition of the Bible 2015
  • Greenspoon L, The New Cambridge history of the Bible: v.4: From 1750 to the present 2015
  • Greenspoon L.J, Attias, Jean-Christophe. The Jews and the Bible.(Brief article) 2015
  • Greenspoon L, The Jews and the Bible 2015
  • Greenspoon L.J, Liere, Frans van. An introduction to the medieval Bible.(Brief article) 2014
  • Greenspoon L, An introduction to the medieval Bible 2014
  • Greenspoon L.J, Kaminsky, Joel S.: The Abingdon introduction to the Bible: understanding Jewish and Christian scriptures.(Book review) 2014
  • Greenspoon L, The Abingdon introduction to the Bible: understanding Jewish and Christian scriptures 2014
  • Greenspoon L, Listening to the Bible: the art of faithful biblical interpretation 2014
  • Greenspoon L.J, Bryan, Christopher. Listening to the Bible: the art of faithful biblical interpretation 2014
  • Greenspoon L.J, Hughes, Aaron W.: Abrahamic religions: on the uses and abuses of history 2013
  • Greenspoon L.J, Musselman, Lytton John. A dictionary of Bible plants.(Brief article) 2012
  • Greenspoon L.J, Pagels, Elaine. Revelations: visions, prophecy, and politics in the book of Revelation 2012
  • Greenspoon L.J, Sweeney, Marvin A.: Tanak: a theological and critical introduction to the Jewish Bible 2012
  • Greenspoon L.J, Jefferson, Thomas. The Jefferson Bible: the life and morals of Jesus of Nazareth extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French & English 2012
  • Greenspoon L.J, Hughes, Aaron W.: The invention of Jewish identity: Bible, philosophy, and the art of translation.(Book review) 2011
  • Greenspoon L, The invention of Jewish identity: Bible, philosophy, and the art of translation 2011
  • Greenspoon L, The rise and fall of the Bible: the unexpected history of an accidental book 2011
  • Greenspoon L.J, Beal, Timothy. The rise and fall of the Bible: the unexpected history of an accidental book 2011
  • Greenspoon L, The Vulgate Bible: Douay-Rheims translation: v.1: The Pentateuch 2011
  • Greenspoon L.J, Koltun-Fromm, Ken. Material culture and Jewish thought in America 2010
  • Greenspoon L, Material culture and Jewish thought in America 2010
  • Greenspoon L, The Dead Sea Scrolls today 2010
  • Greenspoon L.J, VanderKam, James C.: The Dead Sea Scrolls today.(Brief article) 2010
  • Greenspoon L, Bible babel: making sense of the most talked about book of all time 2010
  • Greenspoon L.J, Swenson, Kristin. Bible babel: making sense of the most talked about book of all time 2010
  • Greenspoon L, The Routledge companion to the study of religion 2010
  • Greenspoon L, Gods in the desert: religions of the ancient Near East 2010
  • Greenspoon L.J, Holland, Glenn S. Gods in the desert: religions of the ancient Near East 2010
  • Greenspoon L, New approaches to the study of religion: v.1: Regional, critical, and historical approaches; v.2: Textual, comparative, sociological and cognitive approaches 2009
  • Greenspoon L.J, Ferrell, Lori Anne. The Bible and the people.(Book review) 2009
  • Greenspoon L, The Bible and the people 2009
  • Greenspoon L, The Essential IVP Reference Collection, 3.0 2009
  • Greenspoon L, The Art of being Jewish in modern times 2008
  • Greenspoon L, The thirteenth apostle: what the Gospel of Judas really says 2008
  • Greenspoon L, Reading Judas: the Gospel of Judas and the shaping of Christianity 2008
  • Greenspoon L, According to the Scriptures?: the challenge of using the Bible in social, moral and political questions 2008
  • Greenspoon L, The Dead Sea Scrolls Electronic Library 2007
  • Greenspoon L, The Blackwell companion to the Bible and culture 2007
  • Greenspoon L, Choosing a Bible: for worship, teaching, study, preaching, and prayer 2007
  • Greenspoon L, The Blackwell companion to the study of religion 2007
  • Greenspoon L, The Gospel of Judas: from Codex Tchacos/The lost Gospel: the quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot 2006
  • Greenspoon L.J, The Gospel of Judas: From Codex Tchacos.(The Lost Gospel: The Quest for the Gospel of Judas Iscariot)(Book review) 2006
  • Greenspoon L, The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls 2006
  • Greenspoon L, Defending God: biblical responses to the problem of evil 2006
  • Greenspoon L, The Enlightenment Bible: translation, scholarship, culture 2005
  • Greenspoon L, Mother of the gods: from Cybele to the Virgin Mary 2005
  • Greenspoon L, Let it go among our people: an illustrated history of the English Bible from John Wyclif to the King James Version 2005
  • Greenspoon L, Imperial bibles, domestic bodies: Women, sexuality, and religion in the Victorian market 2004
  • Greenspoon L, On translation 2003
  • Greenspoon L, The archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls 2003
  • Greenspoon L, Making sense of the Bible: Literary type as an approach to understanding 2002
  • Greenspoon L, The Bible in translation: Ancient and English versions 2002
  • Greenspoon L, Oxford Bible commentary 2002
  • Greenspoon L. J., BOOK REVIEWS 2001
  • Greenspoon L, In the beginning: Critical concepts for the study of the Bible 2001
  • Greenspoon Leonard J, 'A land flowing with milk and honey' 2001
  • Greenspoon L, Guide to the study of religion 2000
  • Greenspoon L, The making of a Christian empire: Lactantius & Rome 2000
  • Greenspoon L, Is there a meaning in this text?: The Bible, the reader, and the morality of literary knowledge 1999
  • Greenspoon L, The mystery and meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls 1998
  • Greenspoon L, Eschatology, messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls 1998
  • Greenspoon L, The Context of Scripture: V. 1: Canonical compositions from the biblical world 1997
  • Greenspoon L, Cultural anthropology and the Old Testament 1997
  • Greenspoon L, The Fifth Gospel 1996
  • Greenspoon Leonard, Lukian und Theodotion im Josuabuch: Mit einem Beitrag zu den Josuarollen von Hirbet Qumran 1996
  • Greenspoon L.J, Bibliotheca Grammaticorum: Bibliography of Grammatical Writings, vol. 1, book 1, Antiquity (Circa 2000 ante Christum - Circa 200 ante Christum) 1996
  • Greenspoon L, Reference -- Bibliotheca grammaticorum: Bibliography of grammatical writings. V.1, book 1: Antiquity (circa 2000 ante Christum--circa 200 ante Christum) by Florent A. Tremblay 1996
  • Greenspoon L.J, The Roman Goddess Ceres 1996
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- The Roman goddess Ceres by Barbette Stanley Spaeth 1996
  • Greenspoon L.J, Gospel Truth?: New Light on Jesus and the Gospels.(Brief Article) 1996
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- Gospel truth?: New light on Jesus and the Gospels by Graham Stanton 1996
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- The scepter and the star: The messiahs of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient literature by John J. Collins 1995
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls: The history of Judaism, the background of Christianity, the lost library of Qumran by Lawrence H. Schiffman 1995
  • Greenspoon L.J, Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls: The History of Judaism, the Background of Christianity, the Lost Library of Qumran.(Brief Article) 1995
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- Scripture and translation by Martin Buber and Franz Rosenzweig 1995
  • Greenspoon L, Religion -- Christianizing Homer: The Odyssey, Plato, and The acts of Andrew by Dennis Ronald MacDonald 1994

Presentations

  • Association of Jewish Studies, annual meeting, "Are These Versions Jewish? Bibles at the Borders," 2013
  • Bible Fest 2013, "Humor in the Bible," Biblical Archaeology Society 2013
  • International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies (IOSCS), annual meeting, "Introduction to J. Ross Wagner's "Reading the Sealed Book: Old Greek Isaiah and the Problem of Septuagint Hermeneutics"," IOSCS, Baltimore, MD. 2013
  • Society of Biblical Literature, annual meeting, "Esther, Vashti, Ruth, and Naomi: Kindred Heroines in Megillot," Society of Biblical Litearture 2013
  • Society of Biblical Literature, annual meeting, "Jon D. Levenson: The Early Years," Society of Biblical Litearture, Baltimore, MD 2013
  • Bible Translation Conference 2013, "Excellence in Jewish Bible Translation," SIL/ABS, Dallas, TX 2013
  • Midwest Jewish Studies Association annual meeting, "The "Art" of Jewish Bible Translations," Midwest Jewish Studies Association 2013
  • World Congress of Jewish Studies, meets every three years, "Jewish Bible Translations: Why They Should Be Studied"," World Union of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, Israel. 2013
  • The Bible, the Economy, & the Poor, ""God Stands Together with the Poor": How Jews Viewed Poverty and Aided the Poor in the Post-Biblical Period"," Kripke Center for the Study of Religion and Society 2013
  • The JPS Torah at FIfty, "THE JPS AT FIFTY: A Celebration of a Translation and a Translator," Jewish Publication Society, New York, NY 2012
  • annual meeting, "Where the Jews Are--and Aren't--in Translations of the Hebrew Bible," National Association of Professors of Hebrew, Chicago, IL. 2012
  • 14th Annual Batchelder Conference for Biblical Archaeology, "What the Bible Translator Has Learned--and Failed to Learn--from the Biblical Archaeologist," 2012