Daniel McClellan (biblical scholar)
American biblical scholar (born 1980)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daniel Orrin McClellan[1] (born July 23, 1980) is an American biblical scholar. He is well known for his activities on social media, regularly creating and sharing videos on religious topics from a historical critical perspective.[2][3] He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4]
July 23, 1980
Daniel McClellan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Daniel Orrin McClellan July 23, 1980 West Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupations | Scholar of the Bible and religion |
| Known for | Popularizing critical Biblical scholarship on social media |
| Awards | Richards Award for Public Scholarship (2023) |
| Academic background | |
| Education | |
| Thesis | Deity and Divine Agency in the Hebrew Bible: Cognitive Perspectives (2020) |
| Francesca Stavrakopoulou | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Religious studies |
Sub-discipline | Biblical studies |
Main interests |
|
| TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | ~984k (08 April 2026) |
| Website | www |
In 2023, McClellan received the Society of Biblical Literature's Richards Award for Public Scholarship. He has also been involved in politics, running unsuccessfully for state office in Utah twice.
Biography
Early and personal life
McClellan was born on July 23, 1980.[5] He is originally from West Virginia and has lived in multiple locations, including Maryland, California, Colorado, Texas, Uruguay, Utah, the United Kingdom, and Washington.[6] He did not grow up in a particularly religious household.[7]
At age 20, McClellan joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and later served as a missionary.[7] McClellan met his wife while attending Brigham Young University;[7] they married in May 2006[6] and have three daughters.[7]
Education and academic career
From 2013 to 2023, McClellan worked as scripture translation supervisor for the LDS Church.[6][8]
According to McClellan, he was expelled from the University of Northern Colorado before attending Collin Community College in Plano, Texas.[9] He received a bachelor's degree in ancient Near Eastern studies from Brigham Young University with a minor in Classical Greek,[10] a master's degree in Jewish studies at the University of Oxford, and a master of arts in biblical studies from Trinity Western University.[6][11] In 2020, he received a PhD from the University of Exeter, where he wrote a dissertation under the supervision of Francesca Stavrakopoulou.[11][12] A revised version of his dissertation was published in 2022, titled YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach.[11][13]
McClellan's academic interests include Second Temple Judaism, the early Israelite religion, the cognitive science of religion, and textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible.[6][14] He promotes a scholarly, historical-critical approach to biblical texts and advocates for incorporating perspectives from historically underrepresented groups.[7]
McClellan's first full-length book titled The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues was published by St. Martin's Press in April 2025.[15]
Social media
Since 2021, McClellan has been active on social media about the academic study of the Bible and religion.[11] He leads online classes, cohosts the Data Over Dogma podcast,[16] and is also active on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.[13] On TikTok, he has become popular by "stitching" videos rebutting certain interpretations of the Bible.[17]
Podcasting
In 2023, McClellan and podcast producer Dan Beecher began cohosting the Data Over Dogma podcast, which focuses on applying academic study of the Bible to popular questions about scripture. In an episode of the KUER public-radio program RadioWest, the show was described as an exploration of “what the Bible actually says” that seeks to discuss disagreements about the Bible without vitriol, debate, or confrontation, instead emphasizing close attention to the details of the text.[18] The podcast won a gold Signal Award, as well as being included among the 2025 Listener's Choice winners.[19]
Political career
McClellan has run for public office in Utah twice, though he lost both elections to incumbents. His first bid was for Utah State House of Representatives (District 52) in 2018; he received 33.5% of the vote.[20] In 2020, he ran for Utah's State Senate (District 10) and received 34.8% of the vote.[21][22] As of 2025, he is a registered Democrat — though he has also voted for Republicans and Independents at times in the past.[23]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lincoln Fillmore (incumbent) | 44,126 | 65.17 | ||
| Democratic | Dan McClellan | 23,586 | 34.83 | ||
| Total votes | 67,712 | 100 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Knotwell (incumbent) | 12,640 | 66.49 | ||
| Democratic | Dan McClellan | 6,370 | 33.51 | ||
| Total votes | 19,010 | 100 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Reception
McClellan's online content has gained a broad following, including religious individuals, atheists, agnostics, and those experiencing or recovering from religious trauma. His work has received both support and criticism, particularly from some conservative evangelical communities who disagree with his interpretations.[7]
He was the winner of the Society of Biblical Literature's 2023 Richards Award for Public Scholarship for his work in providing access to the academic study of the Bible.[13]
Publications
General audience books
- McClellan, Dan (2025). The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9781250347473.
Academic books
- McClellan, Daniel O. (7 May 2015). Psalm 82 in Contemporary Latter-day Saint Tradition (1st ed.). The Interpreter Foundation.
- — (2022). YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach (PDF). Ancient Near East Monographs. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 978-1628374384. OCLC 1345581122.
Theses
- McClellan, Daniel O. (July 2010). Anti-Anthropomorphism and the Vorlage of LXX Exodus (PDF) (Master of Studies in Jewish Studies thesis). Oxford: University of Oxford.
- — (December 2013). "You Will be Like the Gods": The Conceptualization of Deity in the Hebrew Bible in Cognitive Perspective (PDF) (Master of Arts in Biblical Studies thesis). British Columbia, Canada: Trinity Western University, Library and Archives Canada. ISBN 9780499255105. OCLC 1019486334.
- — (May 2020). Deity and Divine Agency in the Hebrew Bible: Cognitive Perspectives (PhD in Theology and Religion thesis). UK: University of Exeter.
Book chapters
- McClellan, Daniel O. (2018). "Religion and Description". Method Today: Redescribing Approaches to the Study of Religion. Humanities Commons. pp. 106–113. doi:10.17613/vybm-9p24. ISBN 978-1-78179-568-2.
- — (2019). "The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament." (PDF). In Blumell, Lincoln (ed.). New Testament History, Culture, and Society: A Background to the Texts of the New Testament. BYU Religious Studies Center. pp. 497–513.
- — (2021). "Forming Divine Bodies in the Hebrew Bible". In Stavrakopoulou, Francesca (ed.). Life and Death: Social Perspectives on Biblical Bodies. The Hebrew Bible in Social Perspective. Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 171–194. doi:10.17613/atkd-xr22. ISBN 978-0-567-65672-8. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- — (2021). "'Go Ye and Learn What That Meaneth': Mercy and the Law in the Old Testament's Prophetic Literature and in the Gospels". In Shannon, Avram R. (ed.). Covenant of Compassion: Caring for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged in the Old Testament. BYU Religious Studies Center. doi:10.17613/aw8k-9d82.
- — (2023). "The Church of Jesus Christ in Kosrae". In Jensen, R. Devan; Ram, Rosalind Meno (eds.). Battlefields to Temple Grounds: Latter-Day Saints in Guam and Micronesia. Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center. pp. 107–26.
Articles
- McClellan, Daniel O. (2009). "Ancient Studies: Research Update". BYU Religious Education Review Magazine (Fall 2009).
- —; Faulconer, James E. (2009). "Outreach: A Conversation with James E. Faulconer". Religious Educator. 10 (3).
- — (2017). "Cognitive Perspectives on Early Christology" (PDF). Biblical Interpretation. 25 (4–5): 647–662. doi:10.1163/15685152-02545P11.
- — (2017). "Names of God". Bible Odyssey. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- — (2018). "The Gods-Complaint: Psalm 82 as a Psalm of Complaint". Journal of Biblical Literature. 137 (4): 833–51. doi:10.1353/jbl.2018.0045.
- — (2019). ""As Far as It Is Translated Correctly": Bible Translation and the Church". Religious Educator. 20 (2). Religious Studies Center: 52–83. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- — (2020). "2 Nephi 25:23 in Literary and Rhetorical Context". Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. 29. Utah, USA: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 29, 20200401, 1: 1–19. JSTOR 10.5406/jbookmormstud2.29.2020.0001. OCLC 9700686633.
- — (2023). "The Angel of YHWH". TheTorah.com. Retrieved 14 January 2024.