Our Conversation Partners
The Berean Bible Study Project studies Scripture in conversation with faithful interpreters from many centuries and traditions. We do not regard any individual as infallible. Rather, we listen carefully, weigh every interpretation against Scripture, and seek to learn from those who have devoted themselves to understanding God’s Word.
The Biblical World
- Moses and the Prophets
- The Apostles
- The Early Christian communities reflected in the New Testament
Ancient Jewish Voices
- Philo of Alexandria — Hellenistic Jewish interpretation
- Flavius Josephus — Jewish history and the Second Temple period
- The Mishnah and Talmud — Rabbinic interpretation
- Rashi (1040–1105) — Classical Jewish biblical commentary
- Maimonides (1138–1204) — Jewish philosophy and biblical thought
The Early Church (2nd–5th Century)
- Justin Martyr
- Irenaeus of Lyons
- Origen
- Athanasius
- John Chrysostom
- Jerome
- Augustine of Hippo
Medieval Christianity
- Anselm of Canterbury
- Thomas Aquinas
- Nicholas of Lyra
The Renaissance and Reformation
- Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam — Greek New Testament and Christian humanism
- Martin Luther
- Philipp Melanchthon
- John Calvin
- Huldrych Zwingli
The Evangelical Revival
- John Wesley
- Charles Wesley
Modern Voices
- B. B. Warfield
- C. H. Dodd
- F. F. Bruce
- John Stott
- N. T. Wright
- Richard Bauckham
Voices from the Wider Christian Tradition
We also seek to understand how Scripture has been interpreted within:
- Eastern Orthodox Christianity
- Roman Catholic Christianity
- Lutheran Christianity
- Reformed Christianity
- Anglican Christianity
- Wesleyan and Methodist traditions
- Baptist traditions
- Contemporary evangelical scholarship
Historical and Linguistic Companions
In addition to theologians, we regularly consult the work of:
- Historians
- Archaeologists
- Biblical linguists
- Textual critics
- Historians of Judaism and early Christianity
These disciplines help illuminate the historical setting, languages, manuscripts, and cultural world of the biblical text.
Who is missing?
This list is intentionally selective rather than exhaustive. We welcome thoughtful suggestions for additional conversation partners whose work has made a lasting contribution to the study of Scripture. New names may be added as the project develops, at the editors’ discretion.
Scripture as Our Final Authority
Every conversation partner enriches our understanding, but none replaces the authority of Scripture.
Following the example of the Bereans (Acts 17:11), we gladly learn from faithful interpreters across the centuries while examining every interpretation in the light of the biblical text itself.