Speakers

Dr. Nicolae Roddy is Associate Professor of Theology at Creighton University, a top-ranked, four-year, Jesuit and Catholic liberal arts institution located in Omaha, Nebraska, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Hebrew Bible/Old[er] Testament. Dr. Roddy is co-director of the Bethsaida Excavations Project, involved in supervising the excavation of this significant Hellenistic-Roman and Iron Age site located at the foot of the Golan Heights at the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. He is also co-director of the Virtual World Project, a web-based resource that allows students and researchers to "visit" several dozens of archaeological sites located around the eastern Mediterranean basin through interactive, state-of-the-art virtual reality technology. Although a significant portion of Dr. Roddy's career is devoted to Syro-Palestinian archaeology, his doctoral research trajectory involves delving into early Jewish and early Christian literature. He is the author of The Romanian Version of the Testament of Abraham: Text, Translation, and Cultural Context (Early Judaism and Its Literature Series; Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2001). He has also produced an edited volume called Words of a Shepherd: The Life and Writings of the Very Reverend Protostavrophor Vojislav Dosenovich (Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Monastery Press, 2006), as well as several scholarly articles and presentations (see curriculum vitae).

The Rev. Dr. Harry Pappas is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY. He received his M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, in Brookline, Massachusetts and holds advanced degrees including a Th.M. from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Old Testament from Yale University. Fr. Harry has taught courses in Biblical Hebrew at Yale Divinity School as well as courses in Old Testament at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. As an ordained presbyter of the Orthodox Church, Fr. Harry has served parish communities in New York, Connecticut, Tennessee and most recently, Minnesota.

The Very Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi, Th.D., is Professor of Old Testament at St. Vladimir’s Theological Seminary in Crestwood, NY, where he teaches Old and New Testament, Biblical Hebrew, and Homiletics. He has been Adjunct Professor of Old Testament at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts (1994-2004). Previously, he taught at St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology in Balamand, Lebanon, where he was Lecturer in Biblical Studies (1970-1976) and Adjunct Professor (1980-1996). Fr. Tarazi’s publications include biblical commentaries on 1 Thessalonians and Galatians, a three-volume Introduction to the Old Testament, the first three volumes of a projected four-volume introduction to the New Testament, and numerous scholarly articles.

Scott Hoffhines received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, where he studied Organizational Speech Communication with a minor in Business and Political Science. He also received a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Brookline, Massachusetts. His curriculum emphasized biblical studies, with advanced courses in Old Testament, New Testament, and New Testament Greek. Prior to pursuing his M.Div., Mr. Hoffhines spent seven years in the banking industry. Mr. Hoffhines has given numerous talks, classes and presentations on Orthodox catechesis, biblical studies and Byzantine musicology. He has also acted as a consultant to youth programs sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Boston. He is an active member of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (OCABS) and both a board member and instructor for the Minnesota Bible Lecture Series (MNBLS). In addition to his work in the field of biblical studies and instruction, Mr. Hoffhines is currently working as a Human Resources Generalist.

The Rev. Fr. Marc Boulos is pastor of St. Elizabeth Orthodox Mission, in Eagan, Minnesota. He is also founder and chair of the Minnesota Bible Lecture Series, a non-profit organization created to promote Orthodox biblical scholarship in colleges, seminaries and churches in the Twin Cities area. He is currently a board member of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies and Associate Editor of the Orthodox Audio Bible Commentary (published through OCABS Press). In addition, Fr. Marc serves as spiritual advisor to the Minnesota chapter of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship. Fr. Marc has published reflections on Scripture and the lives of the saints for the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Calendar project, and has given numerous talks on biblical and pastoral topics. He holds a Master of Divinity from St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York. In addition, Fr. Marc is employed in the private sector, where he works as a Manager in Information Technology.