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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer

@libbiesp.bsky.social
1K followers 79 following 84 posts

Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University. Duke PhD. Cradle Episcopalian. Mary Magdalene hijacked my life a few years ago.

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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Thanks to @andrewmarkhenry.bsky.social for this evenhanded summary of the debate around the meaning of the word "Magdalene"! @joantaylor.bsky.social :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFmC...
youtube.com
What Does Mary "Magdalene" Even Mean?
YouTube video by ReligionForBreakfast
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Bowie Snodgrass @bowiesnodgrass.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. #John11 #dailyoffice Was Martha added? Check out @libbiesp.bsky.social’s research
christiancentury.org
Signs of Mary Magdalene in John 11
“If John’s christological confessor is also the first person the risen Jesus appears to,” says biblical scholar Elizabeth Schrader Polczer, “that could make her a competitor to Peter’s...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
@joantaylor.bsky.social we did it!! We got the Bible changed! Honestly I wasn't even thinking about how the footnotes might change in Matthew 27 and Luke 8. These updated footnotes are in the brand-new third edition of the Jewish Annotated New Testament. Buy it here: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Unexpected result of publicly transitioning from music to academia: someone named "Tony" is impersonating me with a "free piano" scam, e-mailing people to say that I am offering my "Yamaha baby grand piano for free." For the record, NOBODY can ever separate me from my piano - which is a Steinway! ;)
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Thanks to Broadview Magazine and @annetheriault.bsky.social for this nice feature about my research.
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
PSA in case you didn’t know: Matthew and John were BY FAR the most popular gospels in early Christianity. (Helpful chart of extant manuscripts in Scott Charlesworth, Early Christian Gospels, pg. 8. Roman numerals indicate the century of production)
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Happy feast day of St. Mary Magdalene! From the Mária Magdolna tower in Budapest 💗
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Diana Butler Bass @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Happy Feast Day of Mary Magdalene! To celebrate, I'm sharing big news from @libbiesp.bsky.social about MM and the Gospel of John!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
New Testament scholarship all too often avoids the very straightforward observation that "The modern category of one 'original' text or 'Urtext'...never existed in antiquity." Hezser articulated this all the way back in *2001* ! (From C. Hezser, Jewish Literacy in Roman Palestine, 434; photo 424)
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
A fun write-up of our research in Rome! (Still ongoing) www.villanova.edu/vu/magazine/...
villanova.edu
Decoding the Catacomb Frescoes
Villanova researchers use advanced imaging to uncover new insights into two ancient Roman frescoes
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
New podcast episode out from Religion to Reality! Thanks to Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich for taking the time to talk about my research. religiontoreality.org/podcast/the-...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Eastern Christianity Villanova job link is live: jobs.villanova.edu/postings/35518
jobs.villanova.edu
Assistant Professor, Eastern Christian Theology & Culture
Why work at Villanova?Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University’s founding in 1842, we have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Happy Fourth of July! 🎆 I think my husband just reached enlightenment...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
If you're interested in learning more about Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity, I'll be teaching an online course in July for @biblicalarchaeology.org. Details here: www.biblicalarchaeology.org/travel-study...
biblicalarchaeology.org
Women in the New Testament and Early Christianity
Learn More
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Diana Butler Bass @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/mary-magda...
dianabutlerbass.substack.com
Mary Magdalenę Updates with Elizabeth Schrader-Polczer
Watch now | A Cottage favorite returns with news about her research
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Big thanks to @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social for inviting me on her Substack, where we announced some big news today! www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW03...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
It's true! Villanova is hiring a tenure-track position in Eastern Christianity! Please share far and wide. aarsbl.org/job/tenure-t...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Current mood:
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Looking forward to presenting at this conference tomorrow in Greenwich, CT! More details here: www.christchurchgreenwich.org/womens-confe...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Villanova's Theology and Religious Studies department is hiring a Director of Master's & Certificate Programs! jobs.villanova.edu/postings/34543
jobs.villanova.edu
Director of Master's & Certificate Programs
Why work at Villanova?Join a mission-driven organization. Since Villanova University’s founding in 1842, we have been inspired by the values of truth, unity, and love, and are a community dedicated to...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
A nice Easter present: a hard copy of the Oxford Handbook of Mary Magdalene finally arrived in the mail!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Exciting news: the Nestle-Aland committee decided to take my recommendations on updating the NA29 apparatus in John 11 to better reflect the issues around Martha. I'll be talking about these updates to the apparatus at the Johannine Literature panel at SBL in Denver. Hope to see some of you there!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
On April 18th I'll be presenting my research at Christ Church Greenwich's Annual Women's Conference. The keynote speaker is Kate Bowler. To register, follow this link: www.christchurchgreenwich.org/womens-confe... Hope to see some of you in CT!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
I've got two presentations coming up in the coming weeks: a lecture in New York City in February, and a retreat in Asheville, North Carolina in March. Details below. Hope to see some of you there!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Ooooh a new "Maria" changed to "Martha"! This is from a 12th-century drama attributed to Hilarius, a student of Abelard. Perhaps just a mistake - or perhaps a bit of confusion about which sister confessed Jesus as the Christ? ;) Thanks to Prof. Carol Symes for calling this to my attention!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
Stopped by the @nationalgalleryuk.bsky.social yesterday on our long layover in London. My husband and I had to say hi to the Marys and Jesus!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Boston!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
I've got a new publication about Mary and Martha in John 11 out today in the latest issue of TC: A Journal of Biblical Textual Criticism. Enjoy! scholarlypublishingcollective.org/sblpress/tc/...
scholarlypublishingcollective.org
Missing the Forest for the Trees: A Response to Richard Fellows
Abstract. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer responds to a 2023 article by Richard Fellows.
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
Reading James Barker's new book from @ebyrbooks.bsky.social and realizing that in many respects we are saying the same thing: the gospels were influenced by literary multiformity in Greco-Roman and Second Temple Jewish circles (although his perspective is source-critical, and mine is text-critical).
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Really lovely day today in Münster, Germany! I came here to present a boatload of new information to scholars at the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung, and gave a few recommendations for updates to the NA29 apparatus. 🤞🏻
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
We're looking forward to hosting Pete Enns from @theb4np.bsky.social Eastern U for the CBA's upcoming regional conference at Villanova in March! Want to join us? The call for papers is here: assets.noviams.com/novi-file-up...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Fascinating new piece by @allykateusz.bsky.social:"of the sixty-one surviving third and fourth-century pieces of art that securely depict one or more sisters at the Raising of Lazarus, fifty-nine depict one sister (96%) while only two depict two sisters (4%)" www.ancientjewreview.com/read/2025/9/...
ancientjewreview.com
Art as Text: When Mary Was Lazarus’s Sole Sister — ANCIENT JEW REVIEW
The question of how many sisters were portrayed with Jesus at the Raising of Lazarus in early Christian art has not previously been explored, and interestingly, the hypothesis that Martha was added la...
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
What would Jesus do?
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
Every once in a while, researching ancient manuscripts can give you a chuckle.
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
The proposed elimination of U of O's Department of Religion is absolutely tragic. Oregon friends, please consider speaking up! aarweb.org/news/an-appe...
aarweb.org
An Appeal from the Department of Religious Studies at University of Oregon - AAR
A Note from the RSN Editor Religion scholars are currently facing numerous challenges, including issues of academic freedom and censorship, diminished budgets, department mergers and closures, job los...
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Matt Thiessen @mattthiessen.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
NT job opening: Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne, Australia, is seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) commencing February 2026. trinity.currentjobs.co/job/lecturer...
trinity.currentjobs.co
Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament)
Trinity College Theological School are seeking a passionate Lecturer in Biblical Studies (New Testament) on a two year fixed-term contract.
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Matthew R. Crawford @mcrawford.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
I am delighted to announce the IRCI has 2 job openings in early Christianity (specialisation open, research-focus, early career). Closing date 15 Aug. Contact me with any questions. We hope you'll consider joining our excellent group of scholars! candidate.aurion.cloud/acu/producti...
candidate.aurion.cloud
Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow (Early Christianity) - Vacancy Details
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
I just noticed that up until the fifth century, every single surviving Greek manuscript of Luke 11:11 preserves a distinct rendition of Jesus's question. Obviously this is due to harmonization with Matthew 7:9-10, but honestly, it's impossible to tell what Luke actually wrote here.
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NT at Oxford @nt4ox.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
Assistant Professor of New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, NJ. FT/TT. Deadline September 8.
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio
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Eva Puschautz @eve9445.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
This was so fun and wonderful today! I'm so grateful @libbiesp.bsky.social took the time to teach me and my students about textual variants of Rev 13:18 today. I learned a lot and very much enjoyed hearing Libbie teach. I love it, when you feel the passion people have for their research topics!
Picture of Elizabeth Schrader-Polczer and me. Next to us is the starting slide of her PowerPoint on the screen. The title of her presentation was "Revelation 13:18 in the Papyri"
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
I will be giving a guest lecture tomorrow at @univie.ac.at about the fascinating variations and interpretations in Revelation 13:18. I've been enjoying digging deeper into this question - thank you so much @eve9445.bsky.social for the invitation to Vienna!
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Lydia Bremer-McCollum @lcbmphd.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Come learn Coptic an affordable cost! You will learn the basics of how to read and learn the language via a corpus-based approach. Come for the Gospel of Thomas! Stay for the more open access philology! All learners welcome!
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Andrew Mark Henry @andrewmarkhenry.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Absolutely ecstatic to announce that we here at Religion for Breakfast are offering an online Intro to Coptic class...using the Gospel of Thomas as the primary text! Taught by the amazing scholar of early Christianity Dr. Lydia Bremer-McCollum. Learn more here: www.religiondepartment.com/coptic
religiondepartment.com
Learning Coptic Through the Gospel of Thomas
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
I'm in Rome for a research trip, and guess who else was here? One of the finest papyrologists alive, Fr. Juan Chapa! (He's the editor of P.Oxy. 5577 and MANY other fascinating Oxyrhynchus papyri) What a treat to get to chat with him
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
Funniest "Mary" changed to "Martha" I've seen recently (found in minuscule 742)
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
Dropped by the British Library today on a layover, and got to see Codex Sinaiticus. 😍 Amazing luck: the page was open to John 20, the scene with Jesus and Mary Magdalene!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Villanova's sports and papal accomplishments
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Good news from the #SBLAAR2025 Annual Meeting! I'll also be on the panel discussion of Hugh Houghton's new "Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament" (an update of Bruce Metzger's classic). These will both be great sessions - looking forward to seeing all you Bible dorks in Boston in November.
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Ok it's the end of the semester, and I am *really* proud of this game we're going to play in class today to help study for the final exam. Props to my husband for finding this awesome Jeopardy website template!
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Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer @libbiesp.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
Many thanks to Eliza Griswold and @newyorker.com for this lovely new Easter feature on Mary Magdalene. (Scroll to the end to read about my research...and song lyrics 😆) www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
newyorker.com
Mistaking Mary Magdalene
The subject of numerous controversies, she is defined by ambiguity, welcoming outcasts to the Church and provoking more imaginative approaches to faith.
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