Candida R. Moss (born 26 November 1978) is an English public intellectual, journalist,
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
scholar and
historian of Christianity
The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish teac ...
, who is the
Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology
Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology is a senior chair in theology at the University of Birmingham. It was founded in 1940 and was named for Edward Cadbury who helped fund the setting up of the university's theological department. The chair has bee ...
in the Department of Theology and Religion at the
University of Birmingham
, mottoeng = Through efforts to heights
, established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...
. A graduate of
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
and
Yale
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
universities, Moss specialises in the study of the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
and
martyrdom
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
in
early Christianity
Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...
.
Early life and education
Born in 1978 in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, Moss attended
Hanford School
Hanford School is a girls' boarding preparatory school located in Hanford, Child Okeford, Dorset, England, established in 1947 and located in a grade II* listed house built in 1604 by Sir Robert Seymer.
History
Hanford House was built in Jaco ...
and The
Godolphin and Latymer School
The Godolphin and Latymer School is an independent day school for girls in Hammersmith, West London.
The school motto is an ancient Cornish phrase, ''Francha Leale Toge'', which translates as "free and loyal art thou". The school crest inclu ...
. She graduated from
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
, in 2000 with a B.A.(Hons) in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. In 2002 she received an
M.A.R. in
Biblical studies
Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 Fo ...
from
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...
. In 2006, Moss graduated from Yale University with an M.A. and an M.Phil in
religious studies, followed by a PhD in religious studies in 2008.
Moss is a kidney transplant recipient. In April 2018 she married Justin Foa, president and CEO of international insurance brokerage company Foa & Son.
Academic career
Moss began her career at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
in
South Bend, Indiana
South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...
, and became a full professor there in 2012, four years after receiving her PhD from Yale. Moss has specialized in the study of
martyrdom
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
, ancient medicine and the New Testament, early Christian ideas about the resurrection of Jesus's physical body, and enslaved literate workers in the ancient world.
Moss has written three books on martyrdom. Her first, ''The Other Christs: Imitating Jesus in Ancient Christian Ideologies of Martyrdom'', was the recipient of the 2011 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise. Her 2012 book, ''Ancient Christian Martyrdom'', argued that post-Enlightenment bias against martyrdom had led scholars to think of martyrdom as a phenomenon that spread from one region of the Roman empire to another. Against this, Moss argues that martyrdom developed differently in different contexts. In 2013 her book ''
The Myth of Persecution
''The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom'' is a 2013 book by Candida Moss, a professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of Notre Dame. In her book, Moss advances a thesis that:
# The ...
: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom'' was published, in which she argues that the stories of early Christian martyrdom "have been altered ... edited and shaped by later generations of Christians" and none of them are "completely historically accurate". Additionally, she maintains that the Roman authorities did not actively seek out or target Christians and that only for a brief period of no more than twelve years in the first three centuries of Christian history were Christians prosecuted by order of a
Roman emperor. In a review of her first two books published in 2013 Edinburgh classicist
Lucy Grig
Lucy Grig is a Senior Lecturer in Roman History and Head of Classics at the University of Edinburgh.
Career
Grig was a lecturer at the University of Reading from 2000 to 2004, with a break during 2001 to 2002 to be a Rome Scholar at the Brit ...
wrote that "Candida Moss has swiftly established herself as one of the most interesting and original scholars working on early Christian martyrdom."
In August 2017 Moss joined the faculty of the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham as
Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology
Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology is a senior chair in theology at the University of Birmingham. It was founded in 1940 and was named for Edward Cadbury who helped fund the setting up of the university's theological department. The chair has bee ...
. She is a research associate at the
Institute for the Study of the Ancient World
The Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) is a center for advanced scholarly research and graduate education at New York University. ISAW's mission is to cultivate comparative, connective investigations of the ancient world from the ...
at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
.
Moss is an advocate for public academic scholarship. Her writing has been praised for its "readability, clarity...creativity, thoughtfulness, and wit." She is a columnist for ''
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' and has contributed to the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', ''
Politico
''Politico'' (stylized in all caps), known originally as ''The Politico'', is an American, German-owned political journalism newspaper company based in Arlington County, Virginia, that covers politics and policy in the United States and intern ...
'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'',
BBC Online
BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...
, BBC
Radio 4's
In Our Time In Our Time may refer to:
* ''In Our Time'' (1944 film), a film starring Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid
* ''In Our Time'' (1982 film), a Taiwanese anthology film featuring director Edward Yang; considered the beginning of the "New Taiwan Cinema"
* ''In ...
,
CNN.com
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ''
HuffPost
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', ''
The Chronicle of Higher Education
''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals (staff members and administrators). A subscription is required to rea ...
'', and ''
Times Higher Education
''Times Higher Education'' (''THE''), formerly ''The Times Higher Education Supplement'' (''The Thes''), is a British magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Ownership
TPG Capital acquired TSL Education ...
.'' She served as papal news contributor for
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...
, an academic consultant to the television series
''The Bible'',
and as a frequent contributor to the
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...
,
History Channel
History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
,
Travel Channel
Travel Channel (stylized as Trvl Channel since 2018) is an American pay television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which had previously owned the channel from 1997 to 2007. The channel is headquartered in New York, New York, United S ...
, and
Smithsonian Channel
The Smithsonian Channel is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its media networks division under MTV Entertainment Group. It offers video content inspired by the Smithsonian Institution's museums, research facilit ...
.
Honours
Moss received the Charlotte W. Newcombe Award from the
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation) is a nonpartisan, non-profit based in Princeton, New Jersey that aims to strengthen American democracy by “cultivating the talent, ideas, ...
, the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise from the
John Templeton Foundation
The John Templeton Foundation (Templeton Foundation) is a philanthropic organization that reflects the ideas of its founder, John Templeton, who became wealthy via a career as a contrarian investor, and wanted to support progress in religious an ...
, and a NEH Summer Seminar Grant from the
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Hiett Prize and a
Religion Newswriters Association
The Religion News Association (RNA) is an American non-profit professional association which seeks to promote better reporting on religion in the news media and to provide help and support to journalists who cover religion. It was founded in 1949 a ...
award. In 2016 her co-authored book ''Reconceiving Infertility'' was shortlisted for the
American Academy of Religion
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) is the world's largest association of scholarly method, scholars in the List of academic disciplines, field of religious studies and related topics. It is a nonprofit member association,
serving as a profes ...
Book Prize for Textual Studies. In 2017 her co-authored book ''Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby'' was selected as a
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
2017 Best Book in Religion. She was elected a member of
Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas in 2013.
Selected works
Thesis
*
Books
*
*
*
[ ; ; ; ; ; ]
*
*
*
Edited volumes
*
*
Peer-reviewed journal articles
* "Reading Between the Lines: Looking for the Contributions of Enslaved Literate Laborers in a Second Century Text," ''Studies in Late Antiquity'' 5 (2021): 432-52
* "Infant Exposure and the Rhetoric of Cannibalism, Incest, and Martyrdom in the Early Church," ''
Journal of Early Christian Studies
The ''Journal of Early Christian Studies'' is an academic journal founded in 1993 and is the official publication of the North American Patristics Society. It is devoted to the study of patristics, that is Christianity in the ancient period of rou ...
'' 29:3 (2021): 341-396.
* "Fashioning Mark: Early Christian Discussions about the Scribe and Status of the Second Gospel,” ''
New Testament Studies
''New Testament Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press under the auspices of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. The scope of the journal are short studies and articles on issues pertaining to th ...
'' 67:2 (2021): 181-204.
* Co-authored with Liane M. Feldman. "The New Jerusalem: Wealth, Ancient Building Projects, and Revelation 21-22,” ''
New Testament Studies
''New Testament Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press under the auspices of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. The scope of the journal are short studies and articles on issues pertaining to th ...
'' 66:3 (2020): 351-66.
* “Dying to Live Forever: Identity and Virtue in the Resurrection of the Bodies of the Martyrs,” ''
Irish Theological Quarterly
''Irish Theological Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes systematic, moral, and historical theology as well as sacred scripture. It was established by Walter McDonald and Dr. John Harty in 1906, published by ...
'' 84:2 (2019): 155-174.
* "A Note on the Death of Judas in Papias,” ''
New Testament Studies
''New Testament Studies'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press under the auspices of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. The scope of the journal are short studies and articles on issues pertaining to th ...
'' 65:3 (2019): 388-97.
* "The Marks of the Nails: Scars, Wounds, and the Resurrection of Jesus in John,” ''
Early Christianity
Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...
'' 8:1 (2017): 48-68
* "Nailing Down and Tying Up: Lessons in Intertextual Impossibility from the Martyrdom of Polycarp,” ''
Vigiliae Christianae
''Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Languages'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Brill Publishers in the field of early Christian studies.
According to the publisher:
The initiators of this journal were ...
'' 67:2 (2013): 117-136.
* “Christly Possession and Weakened Bodies: A Reconsideration of the Function of Paul's Thorn in the Flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10),” ''Journal of Religion Disability and Health'' 16:4 (2012): 319-333.
* “The Discourse of Voluntary Martyrdom: Ancient and Modern,” ''Church History'' 81:3 (2012): 531-551.
* Co-Authopred with Jeffrey Stackert “The Devastation of Darkness: Disability in Exodus 10:21-23, 27, and the Intensification of the Plagues,” ''
Journal of Religion'' 92:3 (2012): 362-372.
* Co-authored with Joel S. Baden. “1 Thess 4:13-18 in Rabbinic Perspective,” ''
New Testament Studies'' 58 (2012): 1-16.
* “Blurred Vision and Ethical Confusion: The Rhetorical Function of Matt 6:22-23,” ''
Catholic Biblical Quarterly
The ''Catholic Biblical Quarterly'' is a refereed peer-reviewed theology journal published by the Catholic Biblical Association of America (CBA) (CBA) in January, April, July, and October. It was established in 1939 and its circulation in 2010 w ...
'' 73:4 (2011): 757-76.
* Co-authored with Joel S. Baden. “The Origin and Interpretation of sara ‘at in Leviticus 13-14,” ''
Journal of Biblical Literature
The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and inc ...
'' 130:4 (2011): 643-661.
* “Heavenly Healing: Eschatological Cleansing and the Resurrection of the Dead in the Early Church,” ''
Journal of the American Academy of Religion
The ''Journal of the American Academy of Religion'', formerly the ''Journal of Bible and Religion'', is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). The ''JAAR'' was e ...
'' 79:3 (2011) 1-27.
* “The Man with the Flow of Power: Porous Bodies in Mark 5:25-34,” ''
Journal of Biblical Literature
The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three academic journals published by the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and inc ...
'' 129:3 (2010): 507-519.
* “On the Dating of Polycarp: Rethinking the Place of the Martyrdom of Polycarp in the History of Christianity,” ''
Early Christianity
Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish ...
'' 1:4 (2010): 539-574.
* “The Transfiguration: An Exercise in Markan Accommodation,” ''
Biblical Interpretation
Biblical hermeneutics is the study of the principles of interpretation concerning the books of the Bible. It is part of the broader field of hermeneutics, which involves the study of principles of interpretation, both theory and methodology, for ...
'' 12:4(2004): 69-89.
See also
*
Barrett Foa
Barrett Conrad Foa (born September 18, 1977) is an American bari-tenor singer, dancer, and actor, with over a decade in Broadway theatre shows. He has played many leading characters in off-Broadway and regional theatre productions. He has appe ...
- brother-in-law
References
External links
Official websiteUniversity of Birmingham WebpageDaily Beast ColumnsAtlantic Articles*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Candida
1978 births
Living people
New Testament scholars
University of Notre Dame faculty
Yale Divinity School alumni
Female biblical scholars
Women classical scholars
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Women Christian theologians
Academics of the University of Birmingham