University of Auckland

Graduate Student, School of Theology

Thesis Title: Jesus Dis/located in Matthew's Gospel: The Exteriority of Itinerancy

Supervisors: Elaine Wainwright
Tracey McIntosh

About

My PhD thesis, in the discipline of biblical studies, explores the issues of homelessness and displacement as they relate to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

At the level of popular discourse, and also in much of the scholarly literature, there is a connection between Jesus and homelessness that appears to have eluded sustained in-depth analysis. Most expressions of this apparent connection tend to romanticize Jesus’ itinerancy in a way that divorces it from the marginalizing reality of homelessness and the reductive circumstances of agency under which it usually occurs. As a result, my research involves a re-reading of the Matthean Jesus that is more sensitive to the social and political conditions that cause and construct homelessness as an important but largely misunderstood public issue.

My other areas of interest include the use of critical theory in the interpretation of the Bible (particularly queer and gender theory), the intersection of religion and popular culture, and men's studies in religion. These areas of ongoing research are represented by my publication and teaching record, and reflect a broader interest in the ways that the Bible is interpreted and used in its life as a theological and cultural product.

Contact Information

Homepage: http://www.artsfaculty.auckland.ac.nz/staff/?UPI=rmyl001

Address: School of Theology
University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand

Instant Messengers/Skype: Skype: robert.j.myles