Biography of Dr. Jim West

I have enjoyed two decades of study and teaching related to the Bible, its history and its composition and contents. Besides being immersed in the Gospel texts, I have investigated the history of early Christianity, its roots in Judaism and the various influences in the ancient world that shaped it. Over the course of my studies, I have acquired the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic as well as modern languages, French and German, necessary to study the scholarly literature in the field.
In addition to my responsibilities as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Petros, in Tennessee, I am the Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies at the Quartz Hill School of Theology. I have penned abstracts, book reviews, articles and dictionary entries on a wide range of Biblical studies, participate actively in the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association, and am a member of the famed -- or infamous, depending on one’s perspective -- Jesus Seminar.
I also maintain this web site, "Biblical Studies Resources," at http://web.infoave.net/~jwest/.

Basic Information
Pastor- First Baptist Church of Petros
Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies, Quartz Hill School of Theology
Books Editor, The Jesus Archive

Academic Credentials
Doctorate of Theology, Andersonville Baptist Seminary, 1994
Master of Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1991
Master of Divinity, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1988
Bachelor of Arts, Carson-Newman College, 1985

Professional Memberships
Catholic Biblical Association of America
Fellow of the Jesus Seminar
American Schools of Oriental Research

Languages
Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, German, Ugaritic, Coptic

Professional Experience
2001-Present; Books Editor, The Jesus Archive
1996-Present; Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies, Quartz Hill School of Theology, Quartz Hill, CA
1993-Present; Pastor, First Baptist Church, Petros TN
1990-1993; Pastor, Tabbs Creek Baptist Church, Oxford NC
1987-1991: Instructor of Bible, Vance-Granville Community College, Henderson NC.
1986-1990; Pastor, Browns Baptist Church, Norlina NC

Bibliography
"Sheol" in The Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible (Eerdman’s Publishing, 2000)
"Abaddon" in The Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible (Eerdman’s Publishing, 2000)
"Apollyon" in The Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible (Eerdman’s Publishing, 2000)
"Hades" in The Eerdman’s Dictionary of the Bible (Eerdman’s Publishing, 2000)
"Beware the Angry Prophet: 2 Kings 2:23-25," Journal of Biblical Studies; 1 (2000): pars. 3-5.
Numerous essays in the Quartz Hill Journal of Theology.
Hundreds of abstracts in Old Testament Abstracts; and reviews in Catholic Biblical Quarterly.
Various essays in Reaching Out Magazine