Assistant Professor of New Testament J.P. O’Connor, Ph.D. has been selected for the 2021 Regional Scholars Award from the Upper Midwest region of the Society of Biblical Literature. O’Connor, who is in his second year of teaching at North Central University, was selected from a pool of nominees from colleges and universities throughout the region, which includes five states and four Canadian provinces or territories. The award was based on the submission of his paper, “Burial Practices in Paul?”.
Providing a synopsis of the scholarly paper that garnered the award, O’Connor wrote:
“My paper reconsiders a long-held assumption. Most assume that Paul and his earliest communities leave no evidence behind for special burial practices. In the ancient world, much like today, care for the dead was taken quite seriously. Where one was buried, how one was buried, with whom (or with what) one was buried, and even the position in which one was buried all mattered to some extent. By taking into consideration the early reception of Paul’s letters, and late antique practices of caring for the deceased, I argue that we may, in fact, have evidence of special burial customs in Paul’s letters. Places like 1 Corinthians 15, in which Paul instructs his community to “put on imperishability,” is one instance. The odd tradition where the dead are baptized in Corinth is another (see 1 Cor 15:29). And what about those strange “tents” in 2 Corinthians 5? In the literary evidence, Paul’s words were liturgized as early as the difficult-to-date Gospel of Philip. And by the time of Augustine, special burial customs became strongly discouraged. My case is that later use of Paul may point to literal rituals in early Pauline communities.”
Significant accomplishment
Allen Tennison, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Church Leadership, remarked that O’Connor’s selection for the award was well deserved and sets him apart as a scholar. “In receiving this award, Dr. O’Connor represents all Bible scholars in the country and the largest international theological society, including all universities and major publishers,” Tennison noted. He said O’Connor’s recognition represents a significant accomplishment in his field. In the past, awards at the regional and national levels have gone to scholars from Oxford, Wheaton, Yale, and many internationally known institutions.
Beyond being an academic scholar and researcher, O’Connor is a teacher who has won the hearts of his students. Tennison has observed O’Connor’s passion for inspiring his students to persevere in courses such as Greek, which can be very difficult. For O’Connor, the secret is to inspire a desire to learn vs. having students only see their courses as a requirement toward a degree.
“I encourage my students to stay curious,” O’Connor said. “I like to tell them that it is okay to be confounded, confronted, or turned upside down by the Bible. We believe Scripture is living and active —so let’s engage and take it seriously. I would say this attitude is what makes the scholarly pursuit of the Bible so much fun. Biblical and theological studies are important because they help us to better understand the world in which the Bible was written. Study keeps us humble, allowing us to admit that we know far less than we think. Hopefully, it encourages us to ask good questions, to discern quality information, and, my personal favorite, to visit the TJ Jones Library.”
Outstanding scholar
O’Connor is also a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Louisville Institute. Tennison pointed out that a condition of O’Connor’s postdoctoral placement was the requirement to write a book during the term of the fellowship. “Dr. O’Connor has already written two books,” Tennison pointed out proudly, “and the second one was at the request of a publisher who pursued him.”
Tennison is generous with his praise for O’Connor’s work. “J.P. is an outstanding scholar,” Tennison said. “Last month, his work was the Catholic Biblical Quarterly. If you get published once, it’s great; since Dr. O’Connor started teaching, he’s been published and received recognition multiple times. North Central is blessed to have him serving in the College of Church Leadership.”
O’Connor’s recent award also put him in contention for national recognition. While his paper was not selected this round for national honors, O’Connor will remain a scholar to watch and a high-impact teacher for NCU students.
