What I do

I am currently an Assistant Professor of Theology at Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh, PA. 

After studying Theology at the University of Bucharest, in my home country of Romania, I received my MA and PhD degrees from Marquette University, in Milwaukee, WI, where I graduated in 2007.

In June of 2007 my family and I moved from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh.  [View pictures of this lovely and lively city here and here!] 

I work in the area of early Christianity, focusing on biblical interpretation and doctrinal developments in the early centuries of the common era. For more, see Research and Current Projects.

What's new

My book on angelomorphic pneumatology, a revision of my doctoral dissertation, is now in print:

 Angelomorphic Pneumatology: Clement of Alexandria and Other Early Christian Witnesses.

Vigiliae Christianae Supplements 95. Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2009. See details here or on the book image.

SBL Annual Meeting (New Orleans, Nov 2009): I will present a paper in the "Greek Bible" group: "The Vision of Habakkuk in the LXX and Its Christian Reception." 

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North American Patristics Society (Chicago, May 2010): I will be co-chairing (with Jeffrey Bingham) a section on Patristic Exegesis.

THE RECEPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF SACRED TEXTS IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY

Call for Papers

A growing number of students and scholars work at the intersection of the Bible (broadly defined) and Patristics. The intention here is to harness this interest to explore the exegetical underpinning of the doctrinal, liturgical, ascetic, visionary, and artistic expressions of the various early Christian movements. For the purposes of this session “sacred texts” encompasses the variety of texts belonging to the Hebrew Bible and the Septuagint, the New Testament, and the so-called OT Pseudepigrapha, which were deemed sacred and authoritative during Christian antiquity.  Similarly, “early Christianity” embraces a broad spectrum of religious movements, irrespective of the various ancient or modern categories under which they are usually grouped.

For this session, we invite submissions that explore the reception and interpretation of the synoptic Transfiguration account.

Paper proposals can be submitted via the NAPS website, starting 1 November. 

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Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense LVIII  (University of Leuven - Belgium, July 2009)
I presented a paper entitled "Moses on Tabor, Jesus on Sinai:Wirkungsgeschichte of Matt 17:1-9 at the Crossroads of Exegesis, Polemics, and Hymnography"

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At Duquesne:

SYMBOLON: Doctrine and Exegesis in Early Christianity [here]

Theology—Philosophy Interdisciplinary Research Seminar [here]

(Friday, September 25, 2009) 

Recently:

 At the annual meeting of NAPS (North American Patristics Society) in May 2009, I have been part of an interesting panel dedicated to the notion of "early Christian binitarianism." Here is the list of papers:

PRESENTERS:

Michel René Barnes, Marquette University:
"Topography and Causality: Irenaeus and the End of High Pneumatology"

D. Jeffrey Bingham, Dallas Theological Seminary:
"Christ, the Spirit, and the Water in Irenaeus of Lyons"

Bogdan G. Bucur, Duquesne University:
"'Binitarian Monotheism' & Co: Between Scholarly Concepts and Early Christian Phenomena"

Anthony Briggman, Marquette University:
"Reevaluating Angelomorphism in Irenaeus: The Case of Proof 10"

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DUQUESNE  UNIVERSITY, 27 March 2009 

 The Reception History of the Bible: A Colloquium (PDF of the flyer)

visit: www.duq.edu/receptionhistory