God transplanted Dr. Putnam in 1970, but he remains a New England farmer “on loan” to Pennsylvania, where he has taught Hebrew, Greek, and biblical interpretation since 1982 at various institutions. He and his wife have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and grandchildren. Recreation: baking, gardening, music, tea, Ankersteinbaukasten. Recreational reading: education, literary criticism of poetry, military history, Chesterton, Pieper, Tolkien, Lewis, Williams (et al.).
Education
S.T.M., M.Div. Biblical Theological Seminary
M.A. The Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning
Ph.D. The Annenberg Research Institute
At Eastern Since 2012
Why I Teach at Eastern
I joined the faculty of the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University because of a number commitments, which I share: (1) to the liberal arts; (2) to the close and careful reading of primary texts; (3) to a pedagogy of conversation; (4) to seeking understanding and insight into the truth of reality with others; (5) to being part of a group of Christians seeking to become “who we already are”; and (6) to pursuing all of these things with like-minded colleagues and relatively small groups of students. After more than ten years, all of these reasons have been repeatedly and consistently affirmed and reinforced by the polity of students and colleagues in the Honors College.
Courses Taught at Eastern
Honors Old Testament, Honors New Testament, Hebrew, Greek, Josef Pieper, Poetry, Classical Pedagogy I, Philosophy & History of Modern Education: The American Public School System
Research Interests
Metaphor; Bible translation (including the LXX); discourse analysis of Hebrew narrative; prosody of biblical poetry; education; pedagogy
Books
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Basics of Hebrew Discourse: A Guide to Working with Hebrew Prose and Poetry (Zondervan 2019).
- A New Approach to Biblical Hebrew (Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2010).
- Proverbs. The Complete Biblical Library. Old Testament Study Bible (World Library Press, 1998).
- Card-Guide to Biblical Hebrew (Stylus, 1996; rev. ed., 1997).
- Hebrew Bible Insert: A Student’s Guide to the Syntax of Biblical Hebrew (Stylus, 1996; 2nd ed., 2003).
- A Cumulative Scripture Index of Hebrew Grammar & Syntax (Eisenbrauns, 1996).
Select Articles
- “Cleaning Our Windows: On Reading Fantasy”, in Amid Weeping There is Joy: Orthodox Perspectives on Tolkien’s Fantastic Realm (pp. 123-140). Edited by Gary Jenkins. Basilian Media and Publications, 2021.
- “On Reading the Bible, Parts I-III”, in Saint Davids Reader I/1 (Fall 2014).
- “I Don’t Teach Poetry”, in Virtue (2023).
- “On Fortitude”, in Virtue 7 (4 May 2021).
- "Warning: You are Being Seduced” (Proverbs 25.15), and “Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.” (Ecclesiastes 1.2), both in Devotions from the Hebrew Bible. (Zondervan, 2014).
- “Redeemed Intimacy: The Song of Songs”, in Modern Reformation, Nov-Dec 2001.
