Rev’d Dr Jeanette Mathews

Profile

Jeanette’s area of research is Biblical Performance Criticism of the Old Testament. This method is explained and illustrated in her article ‘Scripture as Performance’ in St Mark’s Review No. 249, 2019 (3). Her PhD thesis on the book of Habakkuk was published as a monograph entitled Performing Habakkuk: Faithful Re-enactment in the Midst of Crisis (Pickwick, 2012), and a new monograph entitled Prophets as Performers: Biblical Performance Criticism and Prophetic Literature was published in 2020 by Cascade Books. Her most recent book is Reading the Megillot published in 2023 by Smyth and Helwys. In addition to a number of essays in journals and edited books, Jeanette has edited two editions of a handbook for new theological students entitled God, by Degrees (Barton Books, 2014, 2019).

Would be especially interested in supervising topics on:

Biblical Performance Criticism
Old Testament
Narrative criticism

Publications

Books

Reading the Megillot: A Literary and Theological Commentary (Smyth and Helwys, 2023)
Prophets as Performers: Biblical Performance Criticism and Prophetic Literature. Biblical Performance Criticism Series (Cascade Books, 2020)
God, by Degrees (Ed.) (Barton Books, 2014, 2019).
Performing Habakkuk: Faithful Re-enactment in the Midst of Crisis (Pickwick Publications, 2012)

Articles

Mathews, J. (2023). Performing Ecclesiastes: Text as Script. Religions, 14:1269 https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14101269
Mathews, J. (2022). Difficult texts: Who is the Shulammite? (Songs of Songs 6:13 [MT 7:1]) Theology, 125(6): 437-441.
Mathews, J. (2021). Obadiah the humble ‘servant of Yah’: A narrative reading of 1 Kings 18:1-16. St Mark’s Review, 256, 93-102. (Festschrift for Jane Foulcher)
Mathews, J. (2020). Crisis and healing: Reflecting on Leviticus 13-14. St Mark’s Review, 253, 50-59.
Mathews, J. (2019). Led through grief – Old Testament responses to crisis. Stellenbosch Theological Journal, 5(3), 621-642. (Festschrift for John W. De Gruchy)
Mathews, J. (2019). Scripture as performance. St Mark’s Review, 249, 93-114.
Mathews, J. (2019). Difficult texts: I have set my bow in the clouds’ (Genesis 9.13). Theology, 122(1), 38-42.
‘God comes to Job’ in St Mark’s Review 239, 2017 (and editorial with David Neville)
‘The Third Commandment: Lifting the Lord’s Name’ in Review and Expositor No. 113(4), 2016
‘Jonah as a performance: Performance critical guidelines for reading a prophetic text’ in Bible and Critical Theory No. 12(1), 2016
‘Old Testament Epics: revisualising familiar texts’ inSt Mark’s Review 234, 2015
”Hush before him all the earth’: An ecological reading of Habakkuk via Biblical Performance Criticism’ inColloquium 46(1), 2014.
‘Deuteronomy 30: Faithfulness in the Refugee Camps of Moab, Babylonia and beyond’ in Bible, Borders, Belongings: Engaging Readings from Oceania, edited by Jione Havea, David Neville and Elaine Wainwright, SBL Semeia Studies series (Society of Biblical Literature, 2014).
‘Prophets performing as Public Theologians’ inBTh Bible, Justice and Public Theology, edited by David Neville, Sheffield Phoenix Press (2014)
‘Preaching a many-splendoured God’ inSt Mark’s Review 227, 2014.
‘Translating Habakkuk as a performance’ – contributing essay toOrality Studies, Performance Criticism and their Implications for Bible Translation, edited by James Maxey and Ernst Wendland, (Cascade Books, 2013).
‘Framing Lament: Providing a context for the expression of pain’ – contributing essay toSpiritual Complaint, edited by Miriam J. Bier and Tim Bulkeley (Pickwick Publications, 2013)
‘Preaching from the Minor Prophets’ inSt Mark’s Review 223, 2013.
‘Lament Psalms’ inSt Mark’s Review 219, 2012.
‘Rachel and Leah: Rivals or Partners?’ inOn the Road (Journal of the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand) 51, December 2011
‘Reading the Scriptures as Scripts’ inOn the Road (Journal of the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand) 49, July 2011
‘What are we to make of violence in the book of Habakkuk?’ inOn the Road (Journal of the Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand) 45, June 2010

REV'D DR JEANETTE MATHEWS

What got you into theology?

“I began studying theology in my early 20s with a view to becoming a missionary. At the time I had no role models for women in ministry other than female missionaries. While studying theology overseas my focus returned to ministry in an Australian setting and I took up pastoral work in Baptist churches in Melbourne (1991-1993) and Canberra (1997-2006). My ministry strengths were teaching and preaching, so my move into a teaching role following completion of my PhD was a natural outcome of postgraduate study in theology.
I have always loved good literature so Biblical Studies is a natural fit for me. The diversity and complexity of Old Testament literary traditions provides a wealth of material for study. An appreciation for Performance Criticism is a reminder that scripture is a living entity and therefore open-ended, offering opportunities for upholding, transmitting, and improvising those literary traditions for new settings in our own times and places.”

What do you enjoy about teaching at St Mark’s?

“The rewards of teaching are in those ‘a-ha’ moments, not only on the part of students who tell me how they have developed a new and deepened appreciation for the biblical literature, but also in the marking of assignments where I am offered new perspectives and insights.”