Prof Susan Docherty

Academic Summary:

PhD Scriptural Interpretation in Hebrews University of Manchester 2007

MPhil Old Testament and Intertestamental Studies University of Cambridge 2000

MA University of Cambridge 1990

BA (Hons) Theology and Religious Studies University of Cambridge 1986

 

Research interests:

Early Jewish and early Christian interpretation of scripture; New Testament; Septuagint; Pseudepigrapha; Apocrypha; Qumran Scrolls

 

Affiliations: 

Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism and Head of Theology at Newman University Birmingham

 

Publications: 

Single Author Books

Docherty, Susan E., The Use of the Old Testament in Hebrews. (WUNT II/260) 2009, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck

Docherty, Susan E., The Jewish Pseudepigrapha: An Introduction to the Literature of the Second Temple Period.  2014, London: SPCK/Minneapolis: Fortress

Edited Books

Kowalski, B. and Docherty, S.E. (eds.), Let My People Go: The Reception of Exodus Motifs in Jewish and Christian Literature. (Themes in Biblical Narrative Series 30) 2021, Leiden: Brill

Docherty, Susan E. and Smith, S. (eds.), The Scriptures in the Book of Revelation and Apocalyptic: Essays in Honour of Steve Moyise. (Library of New Testament Studies Series) 2023, London: Bloomsbury

 

Journal Articles

Docherty, Susan E., “A New Dialogue Between Biblical Scholarship and Religious Education.” British Journal of Religious Education 40/2 (2018); DOI: 10.1080/01416200.2018.1493272

Docherty, Susan E., “Why So Much Talk? Direct Speech as a Literary and Exegetical Device in Rewritten Bible with Special Reference to Pseudo-Philo’s Biblical Antiquities.”  Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok 82 (2017): 52 – 75

Docherty, Susan E., “Recent Interpretation of Hebrews Chapters 3 – 4: Critical Issues and Scholarly Trends.” Irish Theological Quarterly 81 (2016): 1 – 12

Docherty, Susan E., “Do You Understand What You Are Reading?’ (Acts 8:30): Current Trends and Future Perspectives in the Study of the Use of the Old Testament in the New.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 38/1 (2015): 112 – 125

Docherty, Susan, E., “New Testament Scriptural Interpretation in its Early Jewish Context: Reflections on the Status Quaestionis and Future Directions.” Novum Testamentum 57 (2015): 1 – 19

Docherty, Susan E., “The Text Form of the Old Testament Citations in Hebrews Chapter 1 and the Implications for the Study of the Septuagint.” New Testament Studies 55 (2009): 355 – 365

Docherty, Susan E., “Joseph and Aseneth: Rewritten Bible or Narrative Expansion?” Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Period 35 (2004): 27 – 48

 

Book Chapters

Docherty, Susan E., “Israel’s Scriptures in the Synoptic Gospels.” In Ahearne-Kroll, S (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Synoptic Gospels. New York/Oxford: OUP, 2023, pp. 506 – 524

Docherty, Susan E., “Israel’s Scriptures in the Dead Sea Scrolls.” In Henze, M. and Lincicum. D. (eds.), Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings: The Use of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge: Eerdmans 2023, pp. 138 – 161

Docherty, Susan E., “The Psalms in 1 Enoch.” In Docherty, S.E. and Smith, S. (eds.), The Scriptures in the Book of Revelation and Apocalyptic: Essays in Honour of Steve Moyise. (Library of New Testament Studies Series). London: Bloomsbury, 2023, pp. 147-159

Docherty, Susan E., “The Biblical Antiquities and Hebrews 11:23-40: Israel’s History as a Call to Faith.” In Blackwell, B.F., Goodrich, J.K. and Maston, J. (eds.), Reading Hebrews in Context: The Sermon and Second Temple Judaism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2022, pp. 146 – 152

Docherty, Susan E., “Proverbs.” In Karrer, M., Kraus W. and Kreuzer, S. (eds.), Handbuch zur Septuaginta LXX.H Band 6: Wirkungs- und Rezeptionsgeschichte Würzburg: Gütersloher, 2022, pp. 282 – 287

Docherty, Susan E., “The Re-Use of Exodus Motifs in the Pseudepigrapha and Fragmentary Hellenistic Jewish Authors.” In Kowalski, B. and Docherty, S.E. (eds.), Let My People Go: The Reception of Exodus Motifs in Jewish and Christian Literature. (TBN 30) 2021, Leiden: Brill, pp. 117 – 136

Docherty, Susan E., “The Epistle of Jeremiah.” In Oegema, G.S. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Apocrypha. 2021, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 397 – 409

Docherty, Susan E., “Intertextuality and Exegetical Techniques in Hebrews.” In Lee, M.P. and Oropeza, B.J. (eds.), Practicing Intertextuality: Jewish and Greco-Roman Exegetical Techniques in the New Testament. 2021, Eugene: Wipf and Stock (Cascade), pp. 59 – 74

Docherty, Susan E., “The Use of the Old Testament in Hebrews Chapter 13.” In Mason, E. and Moffitt, D. (eds.), Son, Sacrifice, and Great Shepherd: Studies on the Epistle to the Hebrews. (WUNT II/510) 2020, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, pp. 207 – 218

Docherty, Susan E., “Abraham in Rewritten Bible.” In Adams, S.A. and Domoney-Lyttle, Z. (eds.), Abraham in Jewish and Early Christian Literature. (LSTS 93) 2019, London: Bloomsbury (T&T Clark), pp. 59 – 74

Docherty, Susan E., “Crossing Testamentary Borders: Methodological Insights for OT/NT Study from Hebrew Bible Scholarship.” In Allen, D. and Smith, S. (eds.), Methodology in the Use of the Old Testament in the New: Context and Criteria. (LNTS 579) 2019, London: Bloomsbury, pp. 11 – 22

Docherty, Susan E., “Exegetical Techniques in the New Testament and ‘Rewritten Bible’: A Comparative Analysis.” In Allen, G.V. and Dunne, J.A. (eds.), Ancient Readers and Their Scriptures: Engaging the Hebrew Bible in Early Judaism and Christianity. 2018, Leiden: Brill, pp. 77 – 97

Docherty, Susan E., “Composite Citations and Conflation of Scriptural Narratives in Hebrews.” In Adams, S.A. and Ehorn S.M. (eds.), Composite Citations in Antiquity Vol 2: The New Testament. (LNTS 593) 2018, London: Bloomsbury (T&T Clark), pp. 190 – 208

Docherty, Susan E., “The Reception of Tobit in the New Testament and Early Christian Literature With Special Reference to Luke-Acts.” In Verheyden, J., Koet, B. and Moyise, S. (eds.), The Scriptures of Israel in Jewish and Christian Tradition: Essays in Honour of Maarten J.J. Menken. (Novum Testamentum Supplements Series 148) 2013, Leiden: Brill, pp. 81 – 94

Docherty, Susan E., “Genesis in Hebrews.” In Moyise, S. and Menken, M.J.J. (eds.), Genesis in the New Testament (LNTS 466) 2012, London: T&T Clark, pp. 124 – 148

Docherty, Susan E., “Joseph the Patriarch: Representations of Joseph.” In O’Kane, M. (ed.), Borders, Boundaries and the Bible. (JSOTSup 313) 2002, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, pp. 194 – 216

 

Popular Publications

Docherty, Susan E., “Early Jewish and Early Christian Interpretation of the Scriptures.” RE Today 39/2 (2022): 69

Docherty, Susan E., “Genesis 41: Joseph’s Rise to Power in Egypt.” The Visual Commentary on Scripture (https://thevcs.org/) 2021

Docherty, Susan E., “Abraham in Early Jewish Tradition.” The Newman 112 (2021): 2-7

Docherty, Susan E., “Before Abraham Was: Abraham in Early Jewish Interpretation.” godwhospeaks.uk/before-abraham-was-abraham-in-early-jewish-interpretation 2021

Docherty, Susan E., “Better is Someone Upright who Has no Idols: Introducing the Letter of Jeremiah.” godwhospeaks.uk/better-is-someone-upright-who-has-no-idols 2021

Docherty, Susan E., “Between the Testaments: Early Exemplars of Scriptural Formation.” Pastoral Review 16/2 (2020): 48-51

Docherty, Susan E., “Ad Multos Annos: Foreword to the Hawarden Seminar 40th Anniversary Volume.” In Allen, D. and Smith, S. (eds.), Methodology in the Use of the Old Testament in the New: Context and Criteria. (Library of New Testament Studies Series 579) 2019, London: Bloomsbury (T&T Clark), pp. vii- ix

Docherty, Susan E., “Return to the Fountain of Wisdom: Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4.” In Macnamara, L. and Browne, M. (eds.), The Glenstal Companion to the Readings of the Easter Vigil. 2019, Dublin: Columba Press, pp. 99-112

Docherty, Susan E., “Scripture and Religious Education: Jesus as ‘Messiah’ and ‘Divine Son’ – Insights from Recent New Testament Scholarship.” In Whittle, S. (ed.) Religious Education in Catholic Schools: Perspectives from Ireland and the UK. 2018: Oxford: Peter Lang, pp. 193 – 207

Docherty, Susan E., “The Use of the Old Testament in the New.” Scripture Bulletin 34 (2004): 60 – 70

 

Other details:

Susan has taught theology and biblical studies for over three decades in both formal and informal settings. An active researcher, she has chaired the Annual Seminar on the Jewish Scriptures in Earliest Christianity since 2013. She also currently serves on the International Advisory Committee of the journal Irish Theological Quarterly and on the Planning Team for the national God Who Speaks Campaign, a joint initiative of the UK Bible Society and the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.