Draft:Grant Shafer
American biblical scholar and Judaic historian (born 1951)
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Grant Raymond Shafer (born April 13, 1951)[2] is an American biblical scholar. Judaic historian, and ethicist. His research explores early Christianity’s Jewish roots, ethical issues in religious traditions, ethical frameworks in biblical texts, and the intersections of religion and parapsychology. He edited volumes such as Probing Parapsychology: Essays on a Controversial Science (McFarland, 2023).[3]
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Grant Raymond Shafer | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1951[1] Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupations | Biblical scholar, educator |
| Known for | Biblical ethics, Jewish resistance, nonviolence |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan, Harvard Divinity School |
| Thesis | St. Stephen and the Samaritans: An evaluation of and a contribution to the samaritanology of the New Testament (especially Acts 7:2-53) (1995) |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Michigan; Eastern Michigan University; Henry Ford College; Jackson Community College; Siena Heights University; Washtenaw Community College |
| Notable ideas | evolutionary model of religious ethics; samaritanology |
Early life and education
Shafer was born in Detroit, Michigan. He earned a B.A. from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and later studied early Christianity and its Jewish roots at the University of Michigan, focusing on early Christianity and its Jewish roots and associated resistance movements. He also holds a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Harvard Divinity School and completed a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Studies from University of Michigan (1995).
Academic career
Shafer has held teaching positions at the University of Michigan, Siena Heights University, Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College, and Henry Ford College, teaching religion, Greek, and Judaic studies. He maintains an active online presence, publishing analyses of Jewish–Roman history and biblical ethics on platforms such as LinkedIn and Academia.edu. He is also known for having edited Probing Parapsychology: Essays on a Controversial Science, McFarland, 2023.[4]
Research focus
Shafer’s scholarship examines biblical texts on violence, justice, and communal responsibility. He emphasizes passages in the Old Testament depicting divinely sanctioned or legally mandated violence, including Deuteronomy 17:6–7 (capital punishment), the conquest narratives in Joshua 6–12, and self-defense/retributive justice laws in Exodus 21. These texts, he argues, reflect ancient Israel’s theological rationale for enforcing covenantal justice.
Old Testament perspectives
Shafer emphasizes passages where violence is depicted as divine justice or legal imperative within the Mosaic covenant.[5]
- He highlights capital punishment laws such as those in Deuteronomy 17:6–7 as emblematic of a covenantal framework mandating communal enforcement of divine statutes.[5]
- He points to the conquest narratives in Joshua 6–12—often termed "holy war"—as textual evidence of divinely sanctioned military action aimed at establishing and safeguarding Israel’s covenant identity.[5]
- He also underscores regulations for self-defense and retributive justice in Exodus 21 as structured mechanisms for maintaining social order.[5]
Shafer argues that, together, these texts reflect ancient Israel’s social and theological rationale for communal protection and the enforcement of justice.[5]
New Testament and emerging nonviolence
Shafer contrasts the Old Testament’s depictions of divinely sanctioned violence with the New Testament’s emphasis on ethical non-retaliation and compassionate engagement or mercy.[5]
- He identifies Matthew 5:38–48—Jesus’ injunction to “turn the other cheek”—as a pivotal moment reshaping traditional retributive justice into a model of nonviolence.[5]
- Shafer also interprets Romans 13:1–4 as redefining the concept of “the sword,” presenting it as a tool of civil authority rather than individual action.[5]
He contends that this progression in New Testament thought—from Old Testament violence to New Testament ethics—signals a deliberate theological shift toward mercy, forgiveness, and restorative justice within early Christian communities.[5]
Jewish resistance and biblical justification
In “Jewish Wars and Rome,” Shafer examines how Jewish revolts during the Second Temple period were justified via biblical themes of justice and covenant loyalty.[5] He highlights the tension between visions of peace (e.g., Isaiah 2:4) and historic calls to defend sacred identity.
Collaborations
Shafer has co-authored several works with theologian-psychologist Harold Ellens about the intersection of violence, religion, and psychology.
Personal life
Shafer has one daughter.
Publications
Grant Shafer’s published work primarily consists of essays on biblical ethics, Jewish history, and nonviolence.
Books
- Shafer, Grant R. (2004). "Hell, martyrdom, and war: violence in early Christianity". The destructive power of religion ; Vol 3: Models and cases of violence in religion. Praeger. pp. 193–246.
- Shafer, Grant R., ed. (29 May 2023). Probing Parapsychology: Essays on a Controversial Science. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9781476680385. LCCN 2023004082. - The volume features prominent scholars—including Stanley Krippner, Dean Radin, V.G. Miller, Ralph W. Hood Jr., and James G. Matlock.” [6]
Selected works by Grant R. Shafer
- Shafer, Grant R. “Jewish Wars and Rome.” December 17, 2014. LinkedIn Pulse essay. Accessed 16 June 2025.[7]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Dating the Cleansing of the Temple." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[8]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Conversion in Buddhism." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[9]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Creation in Buddhism." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[10]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Sin and Atonement in Buddhism." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[11]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Muriel, Akiba, and God." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[12]
- Shafer, Grant R. "The Mahdi in the History of Religions." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[13]
- Shafer, Grant R. "Jews v. Romans." Academia.edu, Download PDF. Accessed 16 June 2025.[14]