Dr. Abraham
Terian
is Professor of Armenian Patristics and Academic Dean at St. Nersess Armenian
Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, and editor of the St. Nersess Theological Review.
He
grew up in the Armenian compound of St. James in Jerusalem, where he received
his early education. For six years he was a professional tour-guide throughout
the Holy Land. He holds a Bachelor’s
degree in history and biblical languages, a Master’s degree in archaeology and
history of antiquity, and a Doctorate in Theology (Dr. Theol.) from the
University of Basel, Switzerland, specializing in Early Christianity and its
Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds.
Before
coming to St. Nersess in 1997, he was Professor of Intertestamental and Early
Christian Literatures for twenty years at Andrews University and for four years
a recurring Visiting Professor for both Classical Armenian and Hellenistic
Judaism at the University of Chicago (1984-7).
Dr. Terian is an internationally recognized scholar in these fields.
His
publications include three books on the first-century Jewish philosopher Philo
of Alexandria (whose voluminous works survive in part in an old Armenian
translation only): Philonis Alexandrini de Animalibus: The Armenian Text with an
Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, published by Scholars Press
(Chico, CA 1981); Alexander, e versione armeniaca; and Quaestiones et Solutiones in Exodum, e versione armeniaca et fragmenta
graeca. The latter two were
published by Éditions du Cerf in the series Les œuvres de Philon d'Alexandrie,
vols. 36 and 34c (Paris 1988 and 1992). His latest book, Patriotism and Piety in Armenian Christianity, is part of the St. Nerssess Seminary’s AVANT Series, published
by St. Vladimir’s Press (2005). He has numerous articles in historical,
philological, and literary periodicals and monographs, with major contributions
to Hellenistic, Jewish, and Armenian Studies.
Dr.
Terian was Chairman of the Hellenistic Judaism Group of the Society of Biblical
Literature (1983-85) and President of the Society’s Midwest Region (1990-92).
He has also served as Secretary of the Society for Armenian Studies (1993) and
has been on the editorial board of Studia
Philonica Annual since its beginning (1989). He was recently granted the
first “Fulbright Distinguished Chair in the Humanities” award (2005) for a
visiting professorship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the Spring of
2006.
