You Mean Jesus Isn’t Literally a Vine? Metaphors in the Bible (Beth Stovell)

Dr. Beth Stovell is Associate Professor of Old Testament and Chair, General Theological Studies at Ambrose University in Canada. She was born in Italy, grew up in Austin, Texas, and has studied the ancient world, the Bible, Christian Spirituality, and English Literature in the United States and Canada. She specializes in biblical hermeneutics, the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, and the use of biblical metaphors, particularly in the Minor Prophets and in the Johannine corpus. She has published on biblical hermeneutics, the use of Old Testament metaphors of God’s kingship in John’s Gospel, and recent approaches to metaphor in the Old and New Testaments.She cares about bridging the gap between the academy and the Church. For this reason, she writes for scholarly journals and books, for commentaries, and for popular magazines such as Faith Today, Christianity Today, and Bible Study Magazine. She is on the editorial board for the Bulletin for Biblical Research, Didaktikos: Journal of Theological Education, and DNI (Dictionary of Nature Imagery) Bible Supplement Series. She has worked in various forms of ministry for 20 years, including preaching, teaching, prayer ministry, and worship ministry. In her current church home, Epic Vineyard, she preaches and teaches periodically and is on the worship team. She works with her husband, Jon, on the national team for Vineyard Canada, her denomination, overseeing theological and spiritual formation.In her free time, she enjoys exploring new music (and playing piano and guitar), reading fun books, and creating food that is an “adventure.” She and Jon have two adorable kids: Elena and Atticus.