Professor Joshua Scott is a historian of Second Temple Judaism and emergent Christianity. His current research considers the use of messianic discourse as an internecine rhetorical strategy for redefining community boundaries in Isaiah, 1 Enoch, the Gospel of Matthew, and rabbinic literary descriptions of Bar Kosiba (Kochba). In both his research and teaching, Scott focuses on questions of inclusivity, and inter- and intra-communal dialogue.

Scott’s academic journey began with a B.A. in Religion from Augsburg University (2004) and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary (2008). After completing his M.Div., Professor Scott served as a Pastoral Associate for Grace Lutheran (ELCA) in Saginaw, Michigan. Discerning a deeper passion for teaching, Scott completed a Th.M. in Ancient Judaism at Duke University (2014), and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan (2022), with additional certificates in Greek and Roman History, Jewish Studies, and a teaching certificate from the Center for Research, Learning, and Teaching. In addition to teaching at Union Presbyterian Seminary, Prof. Scott is part-time faculty at Augsburg University.

Professor Scott’s primary research and teaching interests include a range of topics associated within Second Temple Judaism, and the role of religion in our contemporary world. Scott is able teach and supervise studies on Historical Jesus, New Testament Studies, Historical Studies, Jewish Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, using methodologies ranging from historical- and text-critical, to linguistic and anthropologic. As an expert in discourse, Scott is equally interested in interreligious and intrareligious dialogue, and the intersections between the Bible and contemporary culture.

As an author, Scott’s has published articles in dictionaries and journals, and regularly speaks at regional and international conferences. Scott has or is currently co-editing four books: The Early Reception of Paul the Second Temple Jew (2018), Luke/Acts with(in) Second Temple Judaism (2024), ‘Listen to the Sibyl in all things’: Reconsidering the Sibylline Oracles (2025), and Innovate: Emerging Scholarship (2025).

Dedicated to inclusivity and community within the academy at large, Professor Scott collaborates with various academic organizations. He serves as the Chief Editor of the Reviews of the Enoch Seminar, an Event Coordinator for the Catholic Biblical Association of America, a translator for the Revised New American Bible Project, and a media consultant for research groups.

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Curriculum Vitae