Loren L. Johns

514 North Greene Road
Goshen, Indiana 46526-1310
Home: 574 535-0410
Office: 574 295-3726
Email: LJOHNS@AMBS.EDU or LLJ215@YAHOO.COM
Web Presence: http://www.AMBS.edu/LJohns
 

 

Education

Awards

Professional Societies

Teaching Experience

Publications

Presentations

Editorial Experience

Ministerial Experience

Church and Community

Personal

EDUCATION

Princeton Theological Seminary
Date: May 18, 1998
Degree: Ph.D.
Citation: Graduated magna cum laude
Area: Biblical Studies, New Testament
Concentration: Apocalypse of John
Dissertation: “The Origins and Rhetorical Force of the Lamb Christology of the Apocalypse of John“

Goshen Biblical Seminary (now Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary)
Dates: January 1979–May 1984
Degree: M.Div.
Concentration: Pastoral Ministry

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Goshen College
Dates: September 1972–May 1977
Degree: B.A.
Concentration: Biblical Studies

 

AWARDS

Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
Dates: 1998, 1996

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Bluffton College Study Center
Research Grant: “A Comparative Analysis of Symbolism in the Apocalypse of John and in the Dead Sea Scrolls”
Date: 1997

Bluffton College Study Center
Research Grant: “The Lamb in the Apocalypse of John”
Date: 1994

American Bible Society
Award for: Outstanding graduate in biblical studies
Awarded by: Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries
Date: 1984

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

Society of Biblical Literature
Mennonite Historical Society
Princeton Scrolls Society

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PROFESSIONAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
          Dates: 2000–present
          Position: Associate Professor of New Testament
          Courses Taught:

•      BIB500: Reading the Bible

•      BIB502: Beginning Greek: 1 John

•      BIB522: The Gospel and Epistles of John

•      BIB525: The Revelation to John

•      BIB603: Canon and Community

•      BIB604: Greek Exegesis: Gospel of Mark

•      INT501: Formation in Ministry

•      INT603: M.A. Colloquium II

 

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
          Dates: 2000–2007
          Position: Academic Dean

Bluffton University

Dates: 1993–2000
Position: Associate Professor of Religion
Courses Taught:

      • Bible Survey
      • Biblical and Christian Teachings on War and Peace
      • Exegetical Studies in ...
        • The Dead Sea Scrolls
        • The Gospel of John
        • The Letters of Paul
        • The Prophets
        • The Psalms
        • The Revelation to John
        • Women in the New Testament
        • Women in the Old Testament
      • Faith and Community (part of adult degree completion program)
      • Introduction to Biblical Literature
      • Jesus (with an exegetical focus on one of the synoptic Gospels)
      • Journey to Jerusalem (a study tour to Jerusalem, Israel, and Palestine)
      • Methods in Biblical Interpretation
      • New Testament Greek
      • Power, Poverty, and Peace in Washington, D.C.

New Courses Developed: Exegetical Studies in ... the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Women in the New Testament, in Women in the Old Testament; Faith and Community (part of adult degree completion program); Introduction to Biblical Literature; Methods in Biblical Interpretation.
 
Cross-Cultural Courses: Helped to develop and lead Bluffton College’s first cross-cultural trip and course to Washington, D.C., in 1995. Helped to developed and lead Bluffton College’s first cross-cultural trip to Jerusalem in 1996 (and its related course).

Related Involvements

      • Co-leader (with my wife Rachel) of a B.A.S.I.C. group (1993–2000)
      • Chair of History, Religion, and Political Science Department (1999–2000)
      • Coordinator of Bluffton College Peace and Conflict Studies Program (1998–2000)
      • Member of Faculty Executive Committee (1996–2000)
      • Conference Coordinator, Apocalypticism and Millennialism: Shaping a Believers Church Eschatology for the 21st Century (1999)
      • Faculty Chair (1998–1999)
      • Member of Steering Committee for NCA Review (1997–1999)
      • Chair of Subcommittee on Constituency Relations (for NCA Review; 1997–1999)
      • Member of Task Force on Programs for Superior Students (1998)
      • Chair of Student Affairs Committee (1996–1998)
      • Member of Council for Strategic Planning (1996–1997)
      • Member of Congregational Leadership Conference Planning Committee (1993–1996)
      • Member of Religious Life Subcommittee (1993–1996)
      • Member of Academic Affairs Committee (1994–1995)
      • Member of General Education Subcommittee (1994–1995)
      • Member of Cross-Cultural Education Subcommittee (1993–1995)
      • Member of Academic Affairs Subcommittee on Curriculum Revision (1993–1994)
      • Faculty Adviser to student Peace Club (1993–1994)

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PUBLICATIONS

“Atonement and Sacrifice in the Book of Revelation”
Description: Essay in The Work of Jesus Christ in Anabaptist Perspective [Festschrift for J. Denny Weaver]
Editors: Alain Epp-Weaver and Gerald Mast
Publisher: Cascadia Publishing House
Forthcoming Publication Date: 2008

“Identity and Resistance: The Varieties of Competing Models in Early Judaism”
Description: Essay in Qumran Studies: New Approaches, New Questions [Festschrift for James H. Charlesworth]
Editors: Michael Thomas Davis and Brent A. Strawn
Publisher: Eerdmans
Pages: 254-277
Publication Date: 2007

“Homosexuality and the Mennonite Church”
Description: A descriptive article on the story of homosexuality and the Mennonite Church in North America
Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Religion and Homosexuality
Editor: Jeffrey S. Siker
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2006

“The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Apocalypse of John”
Series: The Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls: The Princeton Symposium on the Dead Sea Scrolls, edited by James H. Charlesworth
Volume 3: The Scrolls and Christian Origins
Pages: 255-279
Publisher: Baylor University Press
Publication Date: 2006

Even the Demons Submit: Continuing Jesus’ Ministry of Deliverance
Description: book (collection of essays)
Role: Co-editor with James R. Krabill
Publishers: Institute of Mennonite Studies and Herald Press
Publication Date: 2006

“Homosexuality and the Bible: A Case Study in the Use of the Bible for Ethics”
Description: Article in magazine
Magazine: DreamSeeker Magazine (Vol. 6; No. 1)
Issue Theme: Toward a Genuine Conversation on Homosexuality
Pages: 9-11
Date: Winter 2006

Reprinted in: Stumbling Toward a Genuine Conversation on Homosexuality, Living Issues Discussion Series
Editor: Michael A. King
Pages: 35-38
Publisher: Cascadia Publishing House
Publication Date: 2007

“Conceiving Violence: The Apocalypse of John and the Left Behind Series”
Journal: Direction: A Mennonite Brethren Forum (Vol. 34; No. 2)
Issue Theme: Culture Critique
Pages: 194-214
Publication Date: Fall 2005

“Christian Zionism and Biblical Interpretation”
Periodical: Peace Office Newsletter [Mennonite Central Committee] (Vol. 35, No. 3)
Issue Theme: Christian Zionism and Peace in the Holy Land

Pages: 7–10
Date: July–December 2005

 

“Ordination and Pastoral Leadership: A Response to John E. Toews”

Journal: Conrad Grebel Review (Vol. 22, No. 1)

Pages: 26–39

Publication Date: Winter 2004

 

“Introduction” and “Ordination in the King James Version of the Bible”

Description: Introduction and essay in The Heart of the Matter: Pastoral Ministry in Anabaptist Perspective

Editor: Erick Sawatzky

Publishers: Telford, Pa.: Cascadia Publishing House; and Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press

Publication Date: 2004

Pages: 1–14, 105–117

 

Revelation, by John R. Yeatts

Description: Review of book by John R. Yeatts

Series: Believers Church Bible Commentary

Publisher: Scottdale, Pa.: Herald Press (2003)

Journal: Direction: A Mennonite Brethren Forum (Vol. 33, No. 1)

Publication Date: Spring 2004

Pages: 113–114

 

The Lamb Christology of the Apocalypse of John: An Investigation into Its Origin and Rhetorical Force

Description: Revision of doctoral thesis at Princeton Theological Seminary (New Testament Studies), 1998

Series: Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, 2. Reihe (Band 167)

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Publication Date: 2003

 

“Love and Hospitality in Mennonite Higher Education: Negotiating Culture in a Competitive World”

Journal: Mennonite Life (online) (Vol. 58, No. 1)

Publication Date: March 2003

 

“Leaning Toward Consummation: Mission and Peace in the Rhetoric of Revelation”
Description: Essay in Beautiful Upon the Mountains: Biblical Essays on Mission, Peace, and the Reign of God
Editor: Mary Schertz
Publisher: Institute of Mennonite Studies, co-published with Herald Press (Scottdale, Pa.)
Publication Date: 2003

Pesharim, Other Commentaries, and Related Documents
Series: The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations, Vol. 6B.
Editor: James H. Charlesworth
Publishers: Mohr Siebeck and Westminster John Knox Press
Publication Date: 2002

“God’s Reign is Present: Opportunities Facing the Church at the Edge of History”
Periodical: The Mennonite
Date: October 9, 2001

“Kill the Wicked, O God: Biblical Curses in the Life of the Church”
Periodical: Canadian Mennonite
Date: March 12, 2001 (Vol. 5, No. 5)

“‘A Better Sacrifice’ or ‘Better Than Sacrifice’? A Response to Michael Hardin’s ‘Sacrificial Language in Hebrews’”
Description: A response to a Girardian reading of Hebrews by Michael Hardin
Publication: Violence Renounced: Rene Girard, Biblical Studies, and Peacemaking
Pages: 120–131 (Chapter 6)
Editor: Willard M. Swartley
Publisher: Pandora Press U.S. and Herald Press
Publication Date: 2000

Apocalypticism and Millennialism: Shaping a Believers Church Eschatology for the 21st Century (book)
Description: Papers from the conference by the same name held at Bluffton College, August 1999
Role: Contributor and General Editor
Publisher: Pandora Press Canada and Herald Press
Publication Date: 2000

“Facing Revelation’s Beasts: The Opportunities and Challenges of Pastoral Ministry at the Edge of History”
Description: Essay in the preceding book
Pages: 364–379
Publisher: Pandora Press Canada and Herald Press
Publication Date: Spring 2000

Peace and Justice Shall Embrace: Power and Theopolitics in the Bible
Description: Festschrift for Millard Lind
Role: Coeditor with Ted Grimsrud
Publisher: Pandora Press U.S. and Herald Press
Publication Date: 2000

“The Lamb in the Rhetorical Program of the Apocalypse of John”
Description: Essay, Volume 1, pp.
Publication: 1998 Seminar Papers (Society of Biblical Literature)
Publisher: Scholars Press
Date: 1998

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Hillel and Jesus (book)
Contribution: Collaborative editor (and wrote preface)
Collaborating Editor: James H. Charlesworth
Publisher: Fortress Press
Date: 1997

“Who Do You Say that I Am?”
Periodical: Gospel Herald
Date: June 3, 1997
Pages: 6–7

The Bible Story: A Short Summary (booklet)
Coauthor: Burton G. Yost
Publisher: Bluffton College
Length: 42 pages
Date: 1997

“The Signs as Witnesses in the Fourth Gospel: Reexamining the Evidence”
Journal: The Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Co-author: Douglas B. Miller
Date: July 1994
Volume: 56
Number: 3
Pages: 519–535

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Believing in Christ
Description: Thirteen-lesson study guide on the Gospel of John for adults
Date: Spring 1993 (March–April–May)
Publisher: Mennonite Publishing House

“The Cross Is Our Symbol”
Description: An article advocating the recognition of women in ministry
Date: Jan. 29, 1985
Publication: Gospel Herald

“Justice, Healing, and Peace”
Description: A brief exposition of Matthew 4:4
Date: Dec. 29, 1981
Publication: Gospel Herald

PRESENTATIONS

 

“Conceiving Violence: The Apocalypse of John and the Left Behind Series”

Presentation Setting: Apocalypse Section, Society of Biblical Literature

Date: November 21, 2004

 

The Seven Cities of the Apocalypse and Rome

Description: Co-led with Nelson Kraybill a study tour of the sites of the seven cities of the Apocalypse in Turkey, Istanbul, and Rome

Dates: May-June 2004

 

“The Violence of Revelation as a Theological Problem”

Presentation Setting: Apocalypse Section, Society of Biblical Literature

Date: November 22, 2003

 

“The Book of Revelation Today and the ‘Left Behind’ Series”
Description: Intergenerational Workshop
Presentation Setting: Mennonite Church Canada General Assembly
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Date: July 2002

 

Note: I have given similar presentations at:

• Kern Road Mennonite Church, South Bend, Indiana (June 2002; September 2004);

• Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana (July and October 2002; July 2004);

• Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas (February 2003);

• Hesston College, Hesston, Kansas (February 2003);

• Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas (February 2003);

• Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana (April 2003; October 2003; March 2005);

• Evangelical Anabaptist Seminary Program, Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 2004);

• Prairie Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana (May 2004);

• First Mennonite Church, Middlebury, Indiana (October 2004);

• Bluffton University, Bluffton, Ohio (November 2004);

• Lower Deer Creek Mennonite Church, Kalona, Iowa (January 2005);

• Hively Avenue Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana (January 2005);

• Belmont Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana (February 2005);

• Mennonite Church of Normal, Normal, Illinois (August 2005).

“How to Interpret the Bible in the Life of the Congregation”
Description: Workshop
Presentation Setting: Mennonite Church General Assembly
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Date: July 2001

“The Lamb in the Rhetorical Program of the Apocalypse of John”
Description: Presentation in section on “The Rhetoric of Apocalyptic Literature”
Presentation Setting: Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting, Rhetoric and the New Testament Section
Location: San Francisco
Date: 1998

“Introduction to the Book of Revelation”
Description: Series of four lectures on the Book of Revelation
Setting: Adult elective Sunday school class
Location: Market Street Presbyterian Church, Lima, Ohio
Dates: March 15–April 5, 1998

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“The Dead Sea Scrolls”
Description: Presentation/lecture
Setting: Kiwanis Club, Bluffton, Ohio
Date: February 5, 1998

“The Message of Revelation at the End of the Second Millennium”
Description: Intergenerational Sunday school class
Setting: First Mennonite Church, Bluffton
Date: July 20, 1997

“The Dead Sea Scrolls on the Fiftieth Anniversary of their Discovery”
Description: Lecture
Setting: Market Street Presbyterian Church, Lima, Ohio
Date: March 23, 1997

“The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls”
Description: Lecture
Setting: Bluffton, Ohio, Lion’s Club
Date: March 18, 1997

“The Lamb in the Book of Revelation”
Description: Lecture
Setting: Institute for Learning in Retirement (Bluffton, Ohio)
Date: October 9, 1996

“Learning from the Dead Sea Scrolls”
Description: One-Day Continuing Education Seminar for Findlay-Area United Methodist Clergy
Presentation Setting: FINDUMAC, The Findlay District United Methodist Academy of Clergy
Location: Findlay, Ohio
Date: September 9, 1996

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“The Dead Sea Scrolls: An Introduction to Their Discovery and Significance”
Description: Public Lecture
Presentation Setting: St. Michael’s Catholic Church (Findlay area churches)
Location: Findlay, Ohio
Date: March 18, 1996

“The Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls for Biblical Scholarship”
Description: Lecture
Presentation Setting: Lima (Ohio) Area Clergy Academy
Location: Lima, Ohio
Date: Nov. 28, 1995

“Revisioning the Biblical Traditions of the Divine Warrior for Life in the Believing Community Today: A Response to Tremper Longman III & Daniel Reid’s God is a Warrior and Susan Niditch’s War in the Hebrew Bible”
Description: One of three panelists responding to and critiquing the above two books (I represented the field of New Testament scholarship.)
Presentation Setting: Study of Peace in Scripture Group, Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date: November 18, 1995

Description: Live talk show guest
Talk Show: 1340 Talk Radio (WPBR AM 1340)
Location: Palm Beach, Florida
DJ: Dan Gregory
Theme: The Dead Sea Scrolls Controversy
Date: September 25, 1995

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“Inclusive Language at Bluffton College and the Intolerance of Exclusivism in Service of Community”
Description: Faculty workshop
Presentation Setting: Friday Colloquium Series
Location: Bluffton College
Date: May 5, 1995

“The Moral Implications of the Lamb Christology of the Apocalypse, or, Can Anything Good Come Out of the Revelation to John?”
Description: Faculty workshop
Presentation Setting: Friday Colloquium Series
Location: Bluffton College
Date: January 13, 1995

“Lion and Lamb in Revelation 5: The Origins and Ethical Function of John’s Lamb Christology”
Description: Paper read at the “Study of Peace in Scripture” Group
Presentation Setting: Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Date: November 21, 1994

“How to Study the Bible Inductively”
Description: One-week series of five lectures explaining the inductive method of Bible Study and illustrating how it works
Setting: Lancaster Mennonite Conference’s School for Apostles
Date: July 1994

“End Without Closure: A Program for an Ethic of Responsible Nonviolent Resistance?”
Description: A Response to “Revelation 19–21: End Without Closure,” by M. Eugene Boring, Professor of New Testament, Brite Divinity School (Texas Christian University), Fort Worth, Texas
Presentation Setting: 1993 Neumann Symposium on the theme, “Hope for the Kingdom and Responsibility for the World: Mark 13, Romans 8, and Revelation 20–21”
Location: Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J.
Date: October 2, 1993

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“The Signs as Witnesses in the Fourth Gospel: Reexamining the Evidence”
Description: Paper read at the 1991 Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting (Johannine Literature Section)
Co-author: Douglas B. Miller
Date: November 1991

 

PROFESSIONAL EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE

Editorial Board of Advisers
Publisher: Pandora Press US
Dates: 1999–present
 

Princeton Theological Seminary Dead Sea Scrolls Project
Publisher: Mohr-Siebeck (Tübingen, Germany) and Westminster/John Knox Press (Louisville, Ky.)
Position: Special Editorial Assistant to the Director
Dates: 1992–present

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Explorations
Publisher: American Interfaith Institute
Positions, Dates: 1992–1993, Associate Editor (part time)
1990–1992, Assistant Editor (part time)
Focus: Jewish-Christian relations
Format: Newsletter
Responsibilities: Participate in deciding editorial content and visual presentation; help to plan events and publications that will contribute to improved relations between Jews and Christians; solicit, edit, and copyfit articles; prepare copy for typesetting; suggest layout for designer; provide editorial oversight of production process, reading proofs, etc.

Koinonia Journal
Publisher: Princeton Theological Seminary
Focus: Interdisciplinary scholarship in religious studies
Format: Biannual journal
Positions, Dates: June 1991–1993, executive editor (part time)
1989–1991, New Testament editor (part time)
Responsibilities: As Executive Editor, manage the journal and lead editorial board meetings; coordinate the work of the Old Testament, New Testament, theology, history, and practical theology editors; help decide editorial content; edit and copyedit articles and book reviews; prepare copy for typesetting; promote journal; oversee editorial and production quality

Herald Press
Dates: January 1985–August 1989
Position: Theology Book Editor
Responsibilities: Screen incoming manuscripts of an academic nature; participate in the book approving process; cultivate and maintain relationships with prospective authors; manage publisher-author correspondence; edit books approved for publication; provide editorial management of approximately 50 projects in production at any one time; write promotional copy; represent Herald Press at annual conferences and scholarly conventions

MINISTERIAL EXPERIENCE

Overseer

Conference: Allegheny Mennonite Conference
Responsibilities: Provide general spiritual oversight of pastor and congregation, be liaison between conference and congregations; meet regularly with conference overseer board; provide consultation and assistance with pastoral review processes; meet regularly with pastors

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Church: Oak Grove Mennonite Church, Springs, Pennsylvania
Dates: 1985–1989
Pastor: Earl Yoder

Church: Springs Mennonite Church, Springs, Pennsylvania
Dates: 1985–1989
Pastor: Steven Heatwole

Church: Pinto Mennonite Church, Pinto, Maryland
Dates: 1985–1988
Pastors: Lester Hershey, interim pastor; Roy Bender, pastor

Church: Mennonite Church of Scottdale, Scottdale, Pennsylvania
Dates: 1983–1985
Pastor: Bob Johnson

Church: Kingview Mennonite Church, Scottdale, Pennsylvania
Dates: 1983–1985
Pastors: Peter Dyck, interim pastor; Linford and Elaine Martin, pastors

Pastor

Congregation: Blough Mennonite Church, Hollsopple, Pennsylvania
Dates: 1977–1985 (part time and full time)
Co-pastor: David E. Mishler
Overseer: Sanford G. Shetler
 

Ordination Credentials

Held by the Central District of the General Conference Mennonite Church

 

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Preached numerous sermons and led discussions at local (and more distant) congregations, including:

• Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, Kansas

• Assembly Mennonite, Goshen, Indiana

• Belmont Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana

• Benton Mennonite Church, Benton, Indiana

• Bethel Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Blough Mennonite Church, Hollsopple, Pennsylvania

• Bluffton Friends Meeting, Bluffton, Ohio

• Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Clinton Frame Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana

• Eden Mennonite Church, Moundridge, Kansas

• Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana

• First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio

• First Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Grace Mennonite Church, Pandora, Ohio

• Grace United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana

• Hively Avenue Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana

• Home Street Mennonite Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Kern Road Mennonite Church, South Bend, Indiana

• Kidron Mennonite Church, Kidron, Ohio

• Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, Ohio

• Maplewood Mennonite Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana

• Neil Avenue Mennonite Church, Columbus, Ohio

• Prairie Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana

• Salem Mennonite Church, Dalton, Ohio

• Salem Mennonite Church, Elida, Ohio

• Salem Presbyterian Church, Venedocia, Ohio

• Southside Fellowship, Elkhart, Indiana

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Central District Conference representative on the Conference-Based Theological Education Committee of Ohio (1997–2000)

 

PERSONAL

Birth date: March 8, 1955
Family: Married to Rachel Ann Leaman Johns (certified nurse-midwife); two daughters, Kendra and Jessica
Congregational Membership: Eight Street Mennonite, Goshen, Indiana


Last updated 4 August 2005.