Blake A. Hartung 975 S Myrtle Ave #4302 Tempe, AZ 85281 [email protected]
EDUCATION Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (2017) Ph.D., Early Christianity Dissertation: “Stories of the Cross”: Ephrem and his Exegesis in Fourth-Century Mesopotamia Committee: Jeffrey Wickes (Chair), Peter Martens, Daniel Smith
Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO (2011) M.A., Theology (concentration: History of Christianity)
John Brown University, Siloam Springs, AR (2009) B.A., History
ADDITIONAL TRAINING St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute, Kottayam, Kerala, India (2011) Graduate Certificate, Syriac Language and Literature
RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS Christianity in the Late Antique Near East/Western Asia
Roman Empire in Late Antiquity
Biblical Exegesis and Reception History
Early Christian Liturgical Poems and Homilies
Archaeology and Manuscript Studies
HONORS AND AWARDS Swenson Family Fellowship in Eastern Christian Manuscript Studies, Hill Museum and Manuscript Library (May/June 2019)
Mellon Vatican Film Library Research Fellowship (August 2018)
Graduate Fellow, Abila Archaeological Project, Abila, Jordan (June/July 2016)
Runner-up, Gorgias Press Book Grant (2016)
Brennan Dissertation Research Grant, Saint Louis University (May 2016)
Graduate Fellow, Saint Louis University Culturally Responsive Teaching Academy (2015-2016)
Nijmeh Kiraz Award for best graduate student presentation, North American Syriac Symposium, Washington, D.C. (June 2015)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE Instructor of Religious Studies and History, Arizona State University (2019–) REL 100: Religions of the World (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020) HST 100: Global History to 1500 (Fall 2020, Spring 2021) HST 102: Europe and the Mediterranean: Ancient and Medieval (Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020) HST 373: Roman History I: Foundations and Republic (Fall 2019) HST 374: Roman History II: Roman Empire (Spring 2020) REL 371: New Testament (Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021) REL 372: Formation of the Christian Tradition (Fall 2020) HST 598: Readings in Ancient History: Religions of the Early Roman Empire (Spring 2021)
Adjunct Instructor of Ancient Languages, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary (2017–2019) New Testament Greek I New Testament Greek II Readings in New Testament Greek Latin I Latin II
Adjunct Instructor of Theological Studies, Saint Louis University (2015–2019) History of Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years New Testament Theological Foundations Theological Foundations for International Students
Adjunct Instructor of Biblical and Theological Studies, John Brown University (2018) Essentials of Theology: Jordan Summer Studies Program
Adjunct Instructor of Religion, Lindenwood University (2016–2017) Introduction to World Religions
Teaching Assistant, Saint Louis University (2014)
BOOKS Ephrem the Syrian: Lenten and Paschal Hymns (with Joshua Falconer and James E. Walters), under contract for the Fathers of the Church series (Catholic University of America Press).
PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS “The Collection and Transmission of Late Antique Liturgical Poetry: A Comparative Approach,” forthcoming in Journal of Early Christian Studies 28.4 (2020).
2 “The Significance of Astronomical and Calendrical Theories for Ephrem’s Interpretation of the Three Days of Jesus’ Death,” forthcoming in Aaron Michael Butts and Robin Darling Young, eds., Syriac Christian Culture: Beginnings to Renaissance (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2020).
“The Authorship and Dating of Ephrem’s Syriac Corpus: A Reassessment,” Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum 22.2 (2018): 296–321.
“The Mêmrâ on the Signs Moses Performed in Egypt: An Exegetical Homily of the School of Ephrem,” Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 21.2 (2018): 319–356.
BOOK REVIEWS Judith Lieu, Marcion and the Making of a Heretic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. In Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 22.1 (2019).
Maria Doerfler et al., Syriac Encounters: Papers from the Sixth North American Syriac Symposium, Duke University, 26-29 June 2011. In Hugoye: Journal of Syriac Studies 21.1 (2018): 246–251.
Volker Menze, Justinian and the Making of the Syrian Orthodox Church. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. In The Heythrop Journal 52 (2011): 468–469.
WORKS IN PROGRESS The Death of Jesus in the Christian Imagination of Ephrem of Nisibis (monograph in preparation).
SELECT PRESENTATIONS, PANELS, AND TALKS “Late Antique Performative Techniques and Feminine Characterization in the Hymns of Ephrem of Nisibis,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (November 2019), San Diego, CA
“The Prophet as Saint: Hagiography, Asceticism, and Veneration in Late Antique Syriac Homilies on Elijah,” North American Syriac Symposium (June 2019), Providence, RI.
“The Collection and Transmission of Liturgical Poetry in Late Antiquity: Ephrem, Romanos, and Yannai,” North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting (May 2018), Chicago, IL.
“Navigating the Authorship and Dating of Ephrem's Syriac Corpus: A Guide for the Perplexed,” North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting (May 2017), Chicago, IL.
“‘The Voice that Split the Tombs’: Matthew 27:52-53 as Dramatized Salvation in Ephrem of Nisibis,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (November 2016), San Antonio, TX.
“The Significance of Astronomical and Calendrical Theories for Ephrem’s Interpretation of the Three Days of Jesus’ Death,” North American Syriac Symposium (June 2015), Washington, D.C.
“The Dispute Poem as Vehicle of Theological Reflection in Ephrem’s Nisibene Hymns,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (November 2013), Baltimore, MD.
3 “Robe of Glory, Crown of Victory: Rethinking Adam/Christ Parallels in Ephrem’s Hymns on Paradise,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (November 2012), Chicago, IL.
“Arians and Muslims in Theodore Abu Qurrah’s Refutations of the Saracens,” North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting (May 2012), Chicago, IL.
“Christ the Foundation: John of Tella’s Profession of Faith and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15,” Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (November 2011), San Francisco, CA.
“The ‘New Jews:’ Muslims as Enemies of the Cross in the Christian Literature of the Early Islamic Period,” Medieval Association of the Midwest, Iowa City, IA (September 2010).
LANGUAGES Syriac, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, German
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES Assistant Area Supervisor, Abila Archaeological Project (2018)
Manuscript Cataloguer, Metascripta Digitization Project (2017)
Graduate Research Assistant, Saint Louis University: Vatican Film Library, Metascripta Digitization Project (2016-2017)
Square Supervisor, Abila Archaeological Project (2016)
Reinert Center Culturally Responsive Teaching Academy Graduate Fellow (2015-2016)
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS Society of Biblical Literature
North American Patristics Society
ACADEMIC SERVICE Panel Chair, North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting (2018)
Panel Organizer, “The Reception of Syriac Ascetic and Spiritual Literature” at the North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting (2017)
Panel Co-organizer, “Ephrem’s Paschal Hymns” at the 7th North American Syriac Symposium
Manuscript Reader, Sophia: International Journal of Philosophy and Traditions
INVITED TALKS Invited participant, Duke University Hymnography Workshop (May 2020) 4
“Early Christian Hymns and Liturgical Poems,” invited lecture at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Patristics class (November 8, 2018)
“Jews and Christians in Persia and the Rhetoric of Identity,” invited lecture at Saint Louis University “Judaism in Antiquity” Ph.D. seminar (March 21, 2018)
“The Death and Resurrection of Jesus in the Christian Imagination of Ephrem of Nisibis,” invited paper at the Spring 2018 meeting of St. Louis Christianity in Antiquity Workshop (March 18, 2018)
“Ephrem the Syrian,” invited lecture at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Patristics class (November 7, 2017)
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