PODCAST INTERVIEW

Listen to Matt Bates’s hour-long interview with me on theological issues related to Caesar and the Sacrament. Click link below to access the OnScript podcast. 

Here is Matt’s short evaluation of my book:

OnScript’s Review: When we recover the first-century context for Christian baptism, we discover its explosive sociopolitical power. Those who were baptized were rejecting Rome’s empire built on coercive violence, instead pledging a sacrament (oath) of allegiance to a cruciform king. Caesar and the Sacrament is a must read for those investigating salvation in early Christianity. –Matthew W. Bates, author of Gospel Allegiance.

You can find the podcast at: https://onscript.study/podcast/r-alan-streett-caesar-and-the-sacrament/

MASTER OF DIVINITY AND MASTER OF ARTS

A Master of Divinity (MDiv) is a “professional” degree offered by a seminary that prepares one for a career in ministry or admission into a seminary DMin program. The DMin is awarded after completing the required course work and writing of a ministry-oriented dissertation. Seminary programs are usually accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

A Masters of Arts (MA) is an “academic” graduate degree offered by a college or university that prepares one for a career in a related field or admission into an American university PhD program. Such degrees are approved by regional accrediting agencies.

Students with a seminary MDiv in hand who wish to enter a university PhD program will likely be asked to earn an “academic” MA from an accredited college/university prior to being considered for admission.

SEMINARY VS DIVINITY SCHOOL

What is the difference between a Seminary and a Divinity School?

A seminary is a graduate school representing a particular denomination and/or theological persuasion that trains students for ministry-related careers. The MDiv is the primary degree.

A Divinity school is a graduate school linked to a university. Just as Harvard University has a Law School and a Medical School, so it has a Divinity School that trains students for ministry-related careers. The MDiv is the primary degree. 

Because Divinity schools are related to research universities, they have access to additional resources such as libraries and religion professors. Divinity schools, unlike seminaries, are usually open to a variety of theological perspectives.

WHICH IS BEST: A UNIVERSITY OR SEMINARY PHD?

What is the difference between a university and a seminary PhD in Religious Studies? The former prepares a person to teach at a college or university. It is a research-driven degree. 

Universities that offer PhDs are ranked according to the quality of their programs and placed into one of three tiers. For example, Harvard and Rice are top tier schools. Fordham and University of Dallas are second tier. Youngstown State University and Regent University are third tier. A PhD graduate from Regent will not likely land a teaching job at the University of Chicago. But a Harvard grad may teach at Regent.

Seminaries are professional schools that prepare graduates for ministry. Most seminaries offer practical doctorates (DMin) to help pastors hone the skills of their craft. Early on, however, a few seminaries such as Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (KY) and Union Theological Seminary (NY) began to offer academic doctorates (PhDs) for those wishing to be scholar-pastors or to teach at a seminary or a Christian college.* Other seminaries soon followed. Seminary PhD degrees usually take 3 years to complete.

In the wider world of academia, seminary PhD programs in biblical studies are not as respected, rightly or wrongly, as their university counterparts because they are creedal. Some seminary dissertations are more “topic-oriented” than “thesis-oriented” and fail to plumb the depths of primary source materials. Whereas, students in a PhD program at Yale or UT Austin must become familiar with everything that has ever been written on the limited scope of their thesis. These programs usually take 5-6 years to complete.

Seminaries accept the majority of the applicants into their PhD programs. This is the not the case at top-tier universities. Some Religion departments accept fewer than 2-4 new students per year into their program. The competition is brutal. 

Universities in the top two tiers usually offer PhD students stipends starting around $20,000 per year. Seminary PhD students rarely receive stipends, but they may find employment as adjuncts.

Which is better—a University or Seminary PhD? That’s a difficult question. Each has a niche in education. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Both are fruit, but are unique in other ways.  A better question may be, “Which program is best for you?” That depends on your interests, career goals, and abilities. Do you wish to devote your life’s energy to historical research and scholarly publications? If so, you may want to pursue a university PhD.  If you are more interested in teaching or ministering  to Christians, then a seminary PhD may fit the bill.

*Graduation from a select few Ivy League seminaries, such as Princeton Theological Seminary, might open door to a faculty position at a university.

JUNETEENTH

As a divided America entered the third year of its bloodiest war, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on July 1, 1863. He decreed “that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free.”

Word of the proclamation spread far and wide, but many did not become aware of their freedom for nearly two years! On June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger marched into Galveston, Texas, the remotest of the former slave states, and read the Federal order that all slaves in Texas were liberated. Celebrations followed with singing, dancing, and jubilations. The date became an annual, albeit, unofficial holiday, for many Americans of color.

Juneteenth is an opportunity to acknowledge the horrors of slavery and to proclaim and protect liberty for all throughout our land.

Congratulation!

Congratulations to my son Daniel Streett for successfully defending his PhD Thesis this morning — Durham University (UK)!! His readers/examiners were Loren Stuckenbruck (U of Munich) and David Janzen (U of Durham). His thesis supervisors were Drs. Jan Dochhorn and John Barclay.

Heavenly Holidays: The Reception of the Jewish Festivals in Jubilees, Philo of Alexandria, and Pseudo-Philo 

STREETT, DANIEL,RYAN (2020) Heavenly Holidays: The Reception of the Jewish Festivals in Jubilees, Philo of Alexandria, and Pseudo-Philo. Doctoral thesis, Durham University.

Full text not available from this repository. Author-imposed embargo until 29 May 2023.

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the reception of the Jewish festivals in the Book of Jubilees, the works of Philo of Alexandria, and the Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (Pseudo-Philo). I argue that each text attempts to flesh out in its own way the meaning of the Jewish festivals for its audience and historical situation. Specifically, I identify three main strategies these authors employ in presenting the significance of the festivals. First, there is an attempt to naturalize the festivals, i.e. to portray them as intrinsic to the created order. Second, these authors transcendentalize the festivals, i.e. they present the meaning of the festivals as being tied to heavenly events. Third, these works festalize the Scriptures. That is, they present scriptural episodes (often from the patriarchal period) as having taken place on the date of a certain festival and, in some cases, as having included observance of that festival. I also note a few occasions on which these authors employ a fourth strategy, eschatologizing the festivals, i.e. finding in their motifs and history a preview of Israel’s future redemption.

Chapter One introduces these strategies and locates them in the context of debates concerning the nature of law in the Hellenistic Era. Chapters Two and Three address festal material in Jubilees, while Chapter Four engages the festal ideology in the writings of Philo of Alexandria, and Chapter 5 addresses the Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum. Finally, my conclusion (Chapter 6) offers some brief reflections on the similarities and differences among these three authors and suggests a taxonomy of festal ideology to aid further research. 

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Award:	Doctor of Philosophy
Keywords:	Festivals, Judaism, Philo of Alexandria, Pseudo-Philo, Book of Jubilees
Faculty and Department:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Theology and Religion, Department of
Thesis Date:	2020
Copyright:	Copyright of this thesis is held by the author
Deposited On:	01 Jun 2020 12:00

Daniel also holds degrees from Criswell College (BA), Yale University Divinity School (MA), and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (PhD).

Podcast

I will be recording a podcast with John Morehead this afternoon on my book SUBVERSIVE MEALS. I am not sure when it will be put online, but you can eventually access it at: https://www.multifaithmatters.org/podcast

We will be discussing the importance of the Lord’s Supper as a real meal in the age of Covid 19 and Black Lives Matter. Should be interesting and stimulating.

Wisdom and Age

I wish growing older naturally led to more wisdom. Unfortunately, it does not. The adage, “There is no fool like an old fool” still holds true. Many foolish older people, however, were foolish younger people. They lacked discernment and common sense then as well as now.

Gaining wisdom is a lifelong endeavor. It comes only after thoughtful contemplation, studying history, reading and considering positions and opinions different than your own, walking in other people’s shoes, admitting that your presuppositions may be wrong, being able make adjustments in your thinking, placing ego aside in light of new evidence, treating all people with respect because they are made in God’s image.

Most people are not willing to expend the necessary energy to obtain wisdom.

Humility is the fertile soil where wisdom is cultivated and grown. I am afraid many of us have a lot more hoeing to do.

REVIEW OF “Caesar and the Sacrament”

A review of CAESAR AND THE SACRAMENT on Goodreads by Luke Eshelman -

"In the world of Biblical scholarship, there are very few authors who have the ability to write original analysis which appeals to both an academic and a general audience. As a result, the average Christian has little access to some of the most important developments in Biblical studies. The rich contribution of historical and rhetorical criticism often remains out of reach, which reinforces the false dichotomy between history and faith.

"This book, which in many ways functions as a sequel to his earlier work, “Subversive Meals”, breathes new life into both the historical and contemporary understanding of baptism. Streett is careful to note the influence of both Roman occupation and the rich matrix of Jewish-Israelite religion, history and Scripture. Of particular interest, is the development of the Latin word sacramentum – what we in English call the “sacrament.” We know from Tacitus and other Roman sources that sacramentum was understood as a “verbal pledge of allegiance a soldier gives to his emperor.” As Streett expounds, “Tacitus was the first to speak of “receiving the sacrament” (sacramentum acciperent) because the oath was being administered to the soldier on behalf of the emperor. The wording of the oath remained constant; only the object of the oath changed from one Caesar to the next. Through the reign of Caesar Tiberius (14–37 CE), soldiers were required to take the sacrament only once during their career, but during a time of great turmoil in the Empire, Galba (68 CE) required them to take the sacrament on a yearly basis.” The early Christians employed the now familiar word as they gathered to pledge allegiance to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

"Streett then discusses a well-known letter from Pliney the Younger to Emperor Trajan, in which Christians subjects 'pledge themselves by a sacrament.' Such a pledge was treasonous and invited the wrath of Rome unless one denied his or her allegiance to Jesus. Tertullian specifically equates baptism with the sacrament as an individual’s initiation into the Kingdom of God as opposed to that of Rome. From here, Streett moves on to the Jewish context of baptism which seems to emerge initially with John the Baptist. He pays close attention to the exile/exodus theme running through both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. John begins his movement in the very wilderness where Israel initially journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land. He baptized in the Jordan, which echoes the crossing of the Red Sea and seems to marry the symbolism of water purification for the forgiveness of sins with a new political exodus from the Roman occupation and the Temple establishment.

"Streett also stresses the importance of resurrection – a theme which has its roots in the OT prophets – especially Ezekiel, Isaiah and Daniel. Paul describes baptism as a symbolic act of death – in which the individual dies with Christ. Jesus linked baptism with his own death and glorification on the cross, and Paul echoes this theme in his letter to the Romans. In Romans 6:4, he declares “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.”

"Thus, baptism is an initiation rite in which one pledges allegiance to Jesus and puts to death the old life for the sake of the new life in the Kingdom God. Streett makes it clear that in the first century, such actions were not only subversive but at times treasonous. Allegiance and fidelity to Jesus comes at a cost and we would do well to consider what that means in 21st Century America. Streett does not elaborate on practical applications; instead, he bestows his readers with enough historical exegesis to think for themselves. The clear divide between political and religious did not exist in the ancient world, and modern Christians are consequently in need of the historical analysis provided in this book. Streett is skilled at surveying the layers of history and dispensing his message in a clear and readable style. With an endorsement from Walter Brueggemann (who wrote the forward), it is clear that his thesis will find a home amongst both scholars and laity alike. I especially recommend this book to anyone who is curious and open to considering how history can inform one’s interpretation of Scripture."

An Interesting Read

Just completed reading biography of Crawford Howell Toy, the controversial 19th century professor, who left Southern Baptist Theological Seminary over the issue of inspiration and ended up at Harvard. He eventually became a Unitarian. His story is one of faith, conscience, ambition, success, and tragedy. The author has done an excellent job researching original sources and weaving together a remarkable story.

NEWEST SCHOLARLY REVIEW OF CAESAR AND THE SACRAMENT

RBL 04/2020

 R. Alan Streett
Caesar and the Sacrament: Baptism: A Rite of Resistance
Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2018. Pp. xx + 182. Paper. $25.00. ISBN 9781498228404.

Reviewed by Justin Marc Smith, Azusa Pacific University

R. Alan Streett has produced an incredibly helpful text on baptism as an act of political subversion, first in the Roman Empire, then with potential in a variety of contemporary contexts. Streett accomplishes this task by first reorienting the discussion of baptism as counterimperial through the language of sacrament in the first-century Roman context (sacramentum, a term not used in the New Testament) and then by engaging in a close reading of the relevant New Testament texts on the subject of baptism. The results are insightful and compelling as they lead the reader in the direction of understanding baptism as an act of resistance.

Streett arranges his discussion into eleven chapters. In some ways, chapter 1 is the most helpful as it defines the key terms (taken directly from the title of the book). Even well- known and straight forward terms such as Caesar (which is contrasted with Jesus as “Lord” [2]) are treated with care in order to support the central thesis of the book: baptism functions as a “symbol of death to the present world-order” and an oath of allegiance to the kingdom of God (7). This connection is deepened by the definition of the term sacrament, which came to be used to denote the oath a Roman soldier would take upon entering the Roman army (2). This term was later reappropriated by Christians and others as part of initiation rites (4). Here resistance is expressed in the ritual of baptism. Streett argues that baptism serves as a boundary marker for those in the kingdom of God and should be an inherent rejection of the empire of Rome. Streett seeks to remind the reader that the radicality of this ritual has been forgotten by the modern church and that the modern church has forgotten its call to “a different kind of life” (11).

Chapter 2 sets baptism within the historical/literary context of Israel. Streett primarily does this through linking baptism to two foundational concepts that shaped Israel’s national identity: the kingdom of God as an oppositional to the kingdoms and empires of the world; and the Mosaic covenant as it presented Israel with an “alternative political system” (14). Streett argues that it was precisely the rejection of this alternative political system by the kings of Judah and Israel that led to the destruction of the north and south and led to the collective captivity and subsequent dispersion.

Streett presents a fairly standard presentation of life under Roman rule in chapter 3. Here he presents the realities as a series of extreme dualities: dominator/dominated; ruler/ruled; rich/poor. These realities work their way down to the local level through the military, economic, social, and political machinations of the empire. These harsh realities set up a series of resistance movements to Roman imperial power by the Jewish population. Streett argues that these resistance movements in turn set the table for the preaching and actions of John the Baptist and Jesus. Both heralded the immanent establishment of the kingdom of God and issued a call to a return to the “alternative political system” of covenant and kingdom. According to Streett, both John and Jesus envisioned baptism as a ritual of repentance from the political orders of the world.

Chapters 4 and 5 pull together the messages of John the Baptist and Jesus into a sharper focus. Streett sees John’s message as one of “political deliverance” from Rome and the “Jewish national retainers” (40). This form of baptism was an act of repentance from the political allegiances the people had made with Rome and their retainers and a call to submit to the rule of God and a return to the covenant of Moses via economic and social justice. It was a call to ethical reform away from the unjust political powers and kingdoms of the world (50). The powered elite’s reaction to John’s message was rejection, arrest, and death. Streett’s treatment of Jesus and baptism centers on Jesus’s own baptism at the hands of John vis-à-vis Roman imperial implications. Here “the relationship between resurrection and kingdom, and their link with baptism” is examined (66). This link is traced through the nature of Jesus’s baptism as a declaration of his allegiance to the kingdom of God and Jesus as a king in opposition to Caesar.

This link is also explored through the connection of resurrection to kingdom establishment/reestablishment as envisioned first in Ezek 37, then in Isa 24–27, and finally in Dan 2, 7, and 12. The overarching point is that, while the empires of this world have the power to destroy, they do not have the power to resurrect. That power belongs to God and is a key facet of God’s empire. Jesus reconstitutes Israel symbolically and enacts the realities of the kingdom of God through his ministry. He is killed as a subversive leader oppositional to Rome (like John the Baptist). However, his resurrection indicates that death is not a lasting function of the kingdom of God, and each call to baptism represents a call to participation in and allegiance to this kingdom over all others (Matt 28:16–20).

Chapters 7 and 8 take up the role of baptism in the book of Acts. Chapter 7 focuses on the role of baptism in the preaching of Peter on Pentecost in Acts 2. Streett reorients the preaching of Peter away from question of baptism as requirement for salvation and shifts the focus to baptism (once again) as a revocation of an allegiance to the kingdoms of the world. To be saved is to be saved into the kingdom of God and not an exercise in personal salvation. According to Streett, Peter’s call to repentance and salvation is a call to place allegiance in the kingdom of God and to repent from such allegiance’s elsewhere. Chapter 8 traces the practice of baptism in Acts as an act of sacramentum: Phillip’s baptisms in Samaria and the Ethiopian eunuch; Paul’s own baptism; and Paul’s baptisms of gentiles. Streett’s overarching concern with baptism is not on assessing when or how the gift of the Holy Spirit is received but on the fact that all believers in Acts respond through baptism and that this serves as sacramentum into the kingdom of God (111).

Chapters 9–11 round out Streett’s treatment of the subject as they explore Paul’s baptizing activities in Acts, Paul’s teachings on baptism in the undisputed epistles, and, finally, the treatment of baptism in the General Epistles and Revelation. According to Streett, Paul’s various baptizing activities (baptisms) in Acts further indicate the role of baptism as sacramentum and an act of allegiance to the kingdom of God and away from Rome (121– 22). In Paul’s undisputed writing, faith and baptism go hand in hand. For Paul, to believe is to be baptized. Entry into the kingdom is through faith, but baptism is the “locus where the faith commitment is made” (139).

The last chapter of the book continues to explore the theme of the connection between “kingdom restoration, Jesus’ resurrection and baptism” in the remaining New Testament texts (157). Streett’s point is that the Jesus movement was/is a resistance movement and baptism was/is an “entry point” into the kingdom of God as a kingdom that was and is diametrically opposed to the kingdoms of this world. The challenge of the kingdom of God was first offered to Rome and serves as a challenge to the current empires.

Streett’s work here is useful. The text lacks deep engagement with critical approaches to reading the New Testament, and Streett demonstrates a charitable reading of the New Testament text that does little in the way assessing the historicity of the texts in question. More could have been done to engage a growing body of work on empire criticism. However, the text serves as an excellent entry point into the counternarrative found in the New Testament as it relates to empire. This would work well for those who are interested in working into the subject but may not be prepared to engage with the more critical approaches. Streett demonstrates that a careful and methodical reading of the texts can produce important insights. While the central insights of the book are not novel (i.e., the Jesus movement and its practices were pro–empire of God and anti–empire of Rome), the path to these conclusions are still beneficial.

What Streett has produced here is admirable in its potential to open up the exploration of the challenge to empire (both past and present) to a wider reading audience. Streett’s call to regain the “consciousness of baptism as a rite of resistance” and the “mandate to embrace and exhibit an alternative ethic in the midst of a culture of domination” (11) remains significant in the current context.

This review was published by RBL ã2020 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a subscription to RBL, please visit http://www.bookreviews.org/subscribe.asp.

TRUMP SPEAKS AT NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST

Today was a low point, yet a turning point, in Donald Trump’s presidency. He spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast, then in a speech at the White House he lashed out in vulgar terms at his opponents and thanked his supporters. But mainly he exalted himself. In these two speeches he revealed his true personality,

After observing the President for three years and interacting with each other at conferences and seminars, psychologists have come to a consensus that President Trump exhibits “narcissistic personality disorder” (NPD).

According to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY, “The hallmarks of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) are grandiosity, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration. People with this condition are frequently described as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may also have grandiose fantasies and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment. These characteristics typically begin in early adulthood and must be consistently evident in multiple contexts, such as at work and in relationships.

“People with NPD often try to associate with other people they believe are unique or gifted in some way, which can enhance their own self-esteem. They tend to seek excessive admiration and attention and have difficulty tolerating criticism or defeat.

According to the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition” (DSM-5), the Bible of pyschology:

“Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder . . . exhibit five or more of the following, which are present by early adulthood and across contexts:

“A grandiose sense of self-importance
Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
Belief that one is special and can only be understood by or associate with special people or institutions
A need for excessive admiration
A sense of entitlement (to special treatment)
Exploitation of others
A lack of empathy
Envy of others or the belief that one is the object of envy
Arrogant, haughty behavior or attitudes.”

The causes of NPD are unknown. Treatment is difficult because the of the sufferer’s “grandiosity and defensiveness . . . [make] it difficult for them to acknowledge problems and vulnerabilities.”

If the psychologists are correct, Donald Trump’s disorder will worsen. As a country we are in for a wild ride ahead. Fasten you’re seatbelts. “You ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Trump speaks at March for Life rally in DC

Yesterday, Donald Trump spoke at the National March for Life rally, the first President ever to do so. His supporters hailed him as our strongest pro life president in history. In reality, he cares little about protection of the unborn. He is more concerned about getting re-elected. Thus he must keep his “evangelical” base happy.

As David Fitch, professor of Northern Baptist Seminar,y pointed out,

“As a parent of a 14 yr old son, I must fight everything Donald J Trump promotes: pornography (via his flings), marital infidelity, mysogyny, the sexualizing of women, in short a culture which promotes promiscuous sex and objectifying of women, which leads to more and more abortion.”

Trump has been an advocate of abortion rights his entire adult life. His past actions and the fruit of a lifetime speak louder than his few hollow words. Don’t be duped by a man who has little or no moral compass. His words mean little.

Call for Papers

National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion

Annual Meeting

Baylor University

Waco, TX

May 18 – 20, 2020

The National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR) invites paper proposals in any area pertaining to scholarship in Religion.  In an effort to develop innovative conversations among scholars, papers that create integration between traditional disciplines or broaden the margins of disciplinary conversations are encouraged.   Although many NABPR members work primarily in the traditional disciplines of Biblical Studies, Church History, Theology, etc., proposals are encouraged from any field, including Ministry Studies.

Paper or panel proposals on any aspect of pedagogy related to the teaching of Religion are encouraged.

Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals.  Graduate students must register for the meeting, but the cost is waived, regardless of whether a paper is proposed.

Proposals must be received by January 15, 2020.  Send a 300-word abstract electronically to:

Dr. Christine Jones

cjones@cn.edu

Papers will be scheduled into a 30-minute time period, including discussion.

Proposals will be accepted or denied by March 1, 2020.

Joyce Swoveland

Assistant to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer

National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion (NABPR)

OBP #97284, Waco, TX  76798-7284

Office:  254-710-3758     fax:  254-710-3740

Excited to be Elected to SNTS

Senior Research Professor of Biblical Theology Dr. Alan Streett is the first professor in the history of the Criswell College to be elected into the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS), the most prestigious society dedicated to New Testament studies. The election occurred during the summer 2019 meeting of the 74th annual SNTS society in Marburg, Germany.

The society consists of a select group of scholars with a special interest in the study of the New Testament from a first century point-of-view, and they approach it from a historical rather than confessional perspective. Two current members must nominate a candidate for election based on the prospective member’s scholarly publications, which must meet a standard of excellence at the international level. 

Streett’s two monographs, Subversive Meals: Eating the Lord’s Supper under Roman Domination during the First Century (Pickwick) and Caesar and the Sacrament: Baptism as a Ritual of Resistance (Cascade) along with articles and chapters published by Wiley Blackwell, T & T Clark Bloomsbury, and Oxford University Press, were the basis of his election. Peter Davids, PhD (US) and William S. Campbell, PhD (UK) nominated Streett for membership.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Founded in 1939, past presidents have included, CH Dodd, Rudolf Bultmann, Joachim Jeremias, WG Kümmel, Oscar Cullmann, Bruce Metzger, Ernst Kasemann, CK Barrett, FF Bruce, Raymond Brown, Martin Hengel  James Dunn, Wayne Meeks, Adela Yarbro Collins, among others. John S Kloppenborg is the current President.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
Four years ago, Streett was invited as a guest at the SNTS meeting in Montreal. As he sat listening to papers and scholars addressing their research, answering questions, receiving and offering constructive criticism—all in the spirit of commradrie—he realized his own shortcomings. “I was introduced to a level of scholarship that I had never seen before, all brought together in one place,” he said. “These were people teaching Cambridge and Harvard. I sat in a seminar on the Apostle Paul and the Book of Romans … one person would present a paper that would last an hour. And you would have two hours of interchange with the other scholars.” Streett never imagined that he would one day be elected to the society.

In addition to teaching two or three classes each semester on Criswell’s campus, Streett spends the majority of his time writing and researching, and is presently working on “Songs of Resistance: Challenging Caesar and Empire” (Cascade) and several chapters in edited volumes. 

Streett holds degrees from the University of Baltimore (BA), Wesley Theological Seminary (MDiv), and the University of Wales, UK (PhD).