Dr. Zeba Crook ( He/Him )
Religion, Professor
- B.A. (UBC), MA (UBC), Ph.D (University of St. Michael’s College)
- 2A43 Paterson Hall, Ӱԭ University
- 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6
- Email Dr. Zeba Crook
- 613-520-2600 ext 2276
My scholarly training was in New Testament Studies: the history of composition of the books of the New Testament, the manuscripts and scribal transmission, and the social world of the earliest Christ-followers. My research draws on anthropological approaches, and I am particularly interested in collective memory theory as it pertains to the “memories” contained in writing about Jesus of Nazareth. Since coming to Ӱԭ, and getting to teach outside of my area of expertise, I have become interested in fiction about Jesus (and creative writing in general), theory in the study of religion, and the intertwined histories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I have published extensively in all of these areas. My most recent project considers how the earliest Christ-following communities were formed.
I have supervised six Masters Research Essays, and am always happy to contribute where I can.
Research Interests
- Christian Origins
- Historical Jesus
- Method and Theory in the Study of Religion
- Social-Scientific approaches to early Christian Writings
- Jesus in Modern Fiction
Selected Publications
Religions of a Single God: A Critical Introduction to Monotheisms from Judaism to Baha’i (Sheffield: Equinox, 2019).
The Ancient Mediterranean Social World: A Source Book (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2020).
“Form Criticism vs. Memory Theory on the Resurrection.” In Social Memory Theory and Conceptions of Afterlife in Jewish and Christian Antiquity, edited by Tomas R. Hatina and Jiří Lukeš, pp. 293-318. Leiden: Brill, 2023.
“Matthew, Memory Theory and the New No Quest.” HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies 70 (2015), Art. #2716, 11 pages.
“Collective Memory Distortion and the Quest for the Historical Jesus.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 11 (2013): 53–76.
“Honor, Shame, and Social Status Revisited.” Journal of Biblical Literature 128 (2009): 591–611.
“Fictionalizing Jesus: Story and History in Two Recent Jesus Novels.” Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus 5 (2007): 33–55.
Biggest Honor Ever
TVO Best Lecturer Competition 2010 Semi-Finalist (Top 20)