Dr. Joel Elowsky is professor of Historical Theology at SA国际传媒, St. Louis. He also is the director of the Seminary鈥檚 Center for the Study of Early Christian Texts and is a researcher for the Center for Early African Christianity at the Oden House in New Haven, Conn. He has been a faculty member at SA国际传媒 since 2014.
His interests and areas of expertise include early church studies, the history of exegesis, mission work and African Christianity.
After studying at Westfield House in Cambridge, England, and Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, he transferred to SA国际传媒, where he received a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) (1990, 1992). He later earned a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Drew University in Madison, N.J. (2008, 2009). He received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Concordia College in Ann Arbor, Mich. (now Concordia University, Ann Arbor) (1985).
He served as associate professor of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon (2010鈥�14); as adjunct professor of religion at Drew University (2000鈥�04); and as research director at the Center for Early African Christianity at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa. (2009鈥�14).
Elowsky鈥檚 first call was with The Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod (LCMS) SELC District as a mission developer in Galloway Township, N.J. (1992鈥�2000). He served as operations manager/research director for Thomas Oden鈥檚 29-volume 鈥淎ncient Christian Commentary on Scripture鈥� (InterVarsity Press) from 2000鈥�10, which has been translated into at least seven languages. He also served vacancies at Trinity Lutheran Church in Morris Plains, N.J.; the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Montville, N.J.; and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Fair Lawn, N.J.
Since 2004, he has been part of the ecumenical group Evangelicals and Catholics Together. He has served as a participant in dialogues between evangelicals and the Vatican, delivering a paper in Vatican City on Scripture and tradition in 2010. He also is a board member of the聽China Academic Consortium and a member of the聽International Association of Patristic Studies and the Society聽of Biblical Literature. He serves as president of the Institute for Classical Christian Studies, which has ties with Yale University. He has lectured extensively in Africa on behalf of SA国际传媒 as a researcher and lecturer for the Center for Early African Christianity.
He helped initiate two series 鈥� the five-volume聽Ancient Christian Doctrine聽and the 16-volume聽Ancient Christian Texts (InterVarsity Press) 鈥� as well as Ancient Christian Devotional: A Year of Weekly Readings (InterVarsity Press, 2007).
He has edited or authored numerous books and articles, including: 鈥淛ohn 1鈥�10: New Testament Volume Iva鈥� in 鈥淎ncient Christian Commentary on Scripture鈥� (ACCS) series (InterVarsity Press, 2007); 鈥淛ohn 11鈥�21: New Testament Volume IVb鈥� in the ACCS series (InterVarsity Press, 2007); 鈥淲e Believe in the Holy Spirit: Vol. 4鈥� in the 鈥淎ncient Christian Doctrine鈥� series (InterVarsity Press, 2009); The three-volume 鈥淓ncyclopedia of Ancient Christianity,鈥� eds. Angelo Di Berardino, Thomas C. Oden, Joel C. Elowsky and James Hoover (InterVarsity Press, 2014); 鈥淐yril of Alexandria: Commentary on John, Vols. I and II鈥� in the 鈥淎ncient Christian Texts series,鈥� trans. David R. Maxwell, ed. Joel C. Elowsky (InterVarsity Press, 2013 and 2015); 鈥淓xodus in the Fathers鈥� in 鈥淭he Book of Exodus: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation, Vol. 164鈥� in the Supplements to Vetus Testamentum series, eds. Thomas B. Dozeman, Craig A. Evans and Joel N. Lohr (Brill, 2014); 鈥淎lexandrian Theology and Contemporary African Christian Thought鈥� in 鈥淎 New History of African Christian Thought: From Cape to Cairo,鈥� ed. David Tonghou Ngong (Routledge, 2016); and 鈥淟etter to Marcellinus on the Psalms: Spiritual Wisdom for Today.鈥� (New Haven, CT: ICCSPress, 2017). He also has been invited to be co-editor with Brian Brewer for a new series with T&T Clark on historical theology.
Elowsky鈥檚 translation of Athanasius鈥� 鈥淟etter to Marcellinus,鈥� was used in the Africa Study Bible.He published the article 鈥淟ibya鈥� in 鈥淏rill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online鈥� (Brill, 2020) and has completed an article on Moses for the same publication. He was a consultant for the 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� segment on the churches of Lalibela, which aired in November 2019. He edited Dr. David Maxwell鈥檚 translation of fragments of Cyril鈥檚 鈥淐ommentary on Romans and 1 & 2 Corinthians for the Ancient Christian Text鈥� series, published by InterVarsity Press in the spring of 2022. He lectured in the summer of 2022 at the Patristics Center at the University of Cluj in Romania and helped to secure a grant from the Vatican for the ACCS series to be translated into Romanian and Hungarian. He edited an English translation of Angelo DiBerardino鈥檚 lectures on the 鈥淚nstitutions of the Early Church鈥� (ICCSPress, 2021) and is working on other volumes with DiBerardino for future publication.
Elowsky鈥檚 wife, Joy, has played organ for chapel services at SA国际传媒. She also is the full-time director of music at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School in Collinsville, Ill. The Elowskys have two sons: Christian, a software developer in Wisconsin, and Luke, a graduate student at SA国际传媒 pursuing a Ph.D. in the area of early church history and exegesis, who is married to Julianna (Pfeiffer). When not traveling or teaching, Elowsky likes to spend time sailing in northern Michigan.
Interests:
Early church studies
History of exegesis
Mission work
African Christianity
