Beth M Sheppard | Scholars@Duke

Beth M Sheppard
Associate Professor of the Practice of Theological Bibliography

Professor Sheppard’s research interests include not only library administration and practice, but also the Fourth Gospel. She is particularly intrigued about the everyday life for early Christians. Her dual research agenda is reflected in the diversity of the journals in which her recent articles have appeared, including Theological Librarianship and Sapientia Logos. Her book, The Craft of History for the Study of the New Testament, was published in 2012 with the Society of Biblical Literature. Prior to coming to Duke, Sheppard directed the library and taught New Testament courses at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Although a United Methodist layperson, Sheppard has pastored in rural United Methodist congregations and continues to preach and teach in church settings. Her orientation toward service is also present in her work in the academy, where she is a member of the editorial team for the European Studies on Christian Origins series published by Continuum.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of the Practice of Theological Bibliography, Divinity School, Duke University 2012
Director of the Duke Divinity School Library, Divinity School, Duke University 2012

Contact Information

Duke Box 90972, 407 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708
Duke Box 90972; 407 Chapel Dr., 113 Gray Bldg. (Divinity Library), Durham, NC 27708
bsheppard@div.duke.edu (919) 660-3452
Personal Webpage

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of Sheffield 2000
Expertise
Global Scholarship
- Teaching
  - Turkey (Country)
Research
Selected Grants
- Religion in North Carolina Digital Collection awarded by State Library 2012 - 2015
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Books
  - Sheppard, BM. The craft of history and the study of the New Testament. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2012. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM, and Southwestern College (Winfield, K). Signs of the giver : the collected papers of the 2002 Southwestern College Walker Percy seminar: the collected papers of the 2002 Southwestern College Walker Percy seminar. New York: Writers Club Press, 2003. Link to Item
- Book Sections
  - Sheppard, BM. "Historiography, Ancient." In The Dictionary of the Bible and Ancient Media, 172-176. Bloomsbury Publishing, October 19, 2017. (Chapter)
  - Sheppard, BM. "Pergamum." In The Dictionary of the Bible and Ancient Media, 291-293. Bloomsbury Publishing, October 19, 2017. (Chapter) Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "The Fourth Gospel, Romanization and the Role of Women." In An Introduction to Empire in the New Testament, edited by A Winn, 123-142. Atlanta: Society Biblical Literature, 2016. (Essay)
  - Sheppard, BM. "Nation and World, Church and God." In Nation and World, Church and God, edited by M Baffes and KL Vaux, 259-270. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, September 30, 2014. (Chapter)
  - Sheppard, BM. "Nation and World, Church and God." In Nation and World, Church and God, edited by M Baffes and KL Vaux, 259-270. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, September 30, 2014. (Essay)
  - Sheppard, BM. "Viae et Pontes: The Literary Mileposts of Garry Wills (An Annotated Bibliography)." In Nation and World, Church and God: Essays in Honor of Garry Wills, edited by KL Vaux and M Baffes, 259-270. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press, 2014. (Chapter)
  - Kapraun, P, and Sheppard, BM. "Deploying Free Labor." In Time and Project Management Strategies for Librarians, 83-83. Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
  - Kapraun, P, and Sheppard, BM. "Maximizing Output." In Time and Project Management Strategies for Librarians, 97-97. Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
  - SHEPPARD, BM. "WRITING FOR LIBRARY WEBSITES." In Writing and Publishing: The Librarian’s Handbook, 143-144. American Library Association, 2010.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Crafting a Compelling Bibliographic Essay." In Writing and Publishing: The Librarian’s Handbook, edited by C Smallwood. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Porter, Stanley E. ed. Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation. NY: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2007." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Water, Mark. ed. The Baker Encyclopedia of Bible People: A Comprehensive Who’s Who from Aaron to Zurishaddai. Grand Rapids, Mich., Baker Book House, 2006." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Vanhoozer, Kevin J., Craig G. Bartholomew, Daniel J. Treier and N.T. Wright, eds. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich., Baker Academic, 2005." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Robinson, Thomas A., Mastering New Testament Greek: Essential Tools for Students. Peabody, Mass., Hendrickson, 2007." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Another look: Johannine "subordinationist christology" and the Roman family." In New currents through John, 101-119. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2006. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Moreschini, Claudio and Enrico Norelli. Matthew J. O’Connell. Early Christian Greek and Latin Literature: A Literary History. Peabody, Mass., Hendrickson, 2005. 2 v." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Arnold, Bill T. and Williamson, H.G. M. eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Downers Grove, Ill, InterVarsity Press. 2005." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Stec, David M. The Targum of Psalms. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2005." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Reed, Daniel G., ed. The IVP Dictionary of the New Testament: A One-Volume Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press, 2004." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Ferreiro, Alberto and Thomas C. Oden, Eds. The Twelve Prophets. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
  - Sheppard, BM. "McKendrick, Scot and Orlaith A. O’Sullivan, Eds. The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2003." In American Reference Book Annual. Aurora, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.
- Journal Articles
  - Sheppard, BM. "Theological Librarian vs. Machine: Taking on the Amazon Alexa Show (with Some Reflections on the Future of the Profession)." Theological Librarianship 10, no. 1 (October 2017): 8-23. Open Access Copy
  - Sheppard, BM. "Reading for Faith and Learning (Review) (Published online)." Theological Librarianship 10, no. 1 (October 2017): 50-52. (Review) Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "By the Numbers: Bibliometrics and Altmetrics as Measures of Faculty Impact in the Field of Religion." Theological Librarianship 8, no. 2 (2015): 28-36. Open Access Copy
  - Sheppard, BM, Nguyen, P, Murrain, S, and DeBold, E. "Grant Assessment, Management and Reporting: Lessons Learned from The Religion in North Carolina Grant Project." ATLA Summary of Proceedings 68 (2014): 149-159.
  - Sheppard, BM, and Murrain, S. "The Final Frontier: Hospitality and Events in the Theological Library Context." ATLA Summary of Proceedings 68 (2014): 96-108.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Anderson, Paul N. The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel: An Introduction to John Minneapolis: Fortress, 2011." Biblical Interpretation 21, no. 1 (2013): 146-147.
  - Sheppard, BM. "Resource use patterns in a distance Doctor of Ministry population." Journal of Religious & Theological Information 11, no. 3-4 (July 1, 2012): 138-157. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Resources for the study of the classical world in the New Testament era." Theological librarianship 5, no. 2 (January 1, 2012). Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "E-Content Our Way: Libraries as Publishers." ATLA Summary of Proceedings 66 (2012): 129-141.
  - Sheppard, BM, Chung, J, and Kapraun, P. "Security and sensibility: RFID in a theological library." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 65 (January 1, 2011): 241-255. Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "A good look at the Nook." Theological librarianship 4, no. 1 (January 1, 2011). Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "A Labor Portrait: Productivity and Work Ethic in the Era of the Fourth Gospel." Sapientia Logos 4 (2011): 41-81. (Academic Article)
  - Sheppard, BM. "The Graceful Exit: Keys for a Positive Relationship between an ’Emeritus Librarian’ and His or Her Successor." Catholic Library World 81 (2011): 282-284. (Academic Article)
  - Sheppard, BM. "Historiography for study of the New Testament: an overview of methods from the twentieth to the twenty-first centuries." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 64 (January 1, 2010): 108-124. Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Stewart, DR, Sheppard, BM, Keck, AJ, and McMahon, ML. "Writing and publishing, the librarian's handbook." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 64 (January 1, 2010): 270-274. Link to Item
  - Garrett, J. "Wood, flour, journal: how the electronic turn has affected the way journals are found, used, and read." Theological librarianship 2, no. 2 (January 1, 2009). Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "E-journals and the seminary library context: a response to Jeffrey Garrett's"wood, flour, journal: how the electronic turn has affected the way journals are found, used and read"." Theological librarianship 2, no. 2 (January 1, 2009). Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Supporting the modern mystic: collecting for the "new" spirituality." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 63 (January 1, 2009): 208-222. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "The Kindle 2: risk and promise." Theological librarianship 2, no. 2 (January 1, 2009). Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "A Forum on Electronic Journals: Change, Challenge Opportunity—Part Two: E-Journals and the Seminary Library Context; A Response to Jeffrey Garrett’s ‘Wood, Flour, Journal: How the Electronic Turn Has Affected the Way Journals are Found, Used and Read." Theological Librarianship 2, no. 2 (2009): 43-46.
  - Bidlack, B, Sheppard, BM, and McMahon, ML. "Writing for Theological Librarianship, ATLA's new journal." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 62 (January 1, 2008): 32-38. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "The art of the bibliographic essay." Theological librarianship 1, no. 1 (January 1, 2008). Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "John: storyteller, interpreter, evangelist." Interpretation 61, no. 4 (October 1, 2007): 451-318. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Kinlaw, Pamela. The Christ is Jesus: Metamorphosis, Possession, and Johannine Christology. Academia Biblica, 18. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2005." Religious Studies Review 33, no. 1 (2007).
  - Sheppard, BM. "Future shock: the inevitable impact of a "new generation of patron" on theological libraries." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 60 (January 1, 2006): 129-144. Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Rhetorical argumentation in Biblical texts." Review of Biblical Literature 5 (January 1, 2003): 374-377. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "The rise of Rome: the emergence of a new mode for exploring the fourth Gospel." American Theological Library Association Summary of Proceedings 57 (January 1, 2003): 175-187. Open Access Copy Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Asiedu-Peprah, Martin. Johannine Sabbath Conflicts as Juridical Controversy. Mohr-Siebeck, 2000." Review of Biblical Literature (2002).
  - Sheppard, BM. "Josephus and the New Testament." Journal for the Study of the New Testament , no. 57 (March 1, 1995): 126-127. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Pain and Polemic: Anti-Judaism in the Gospels." Journal for the Study of the New Testament , no. 56 (December 1, 1994): 123-318. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "The death of Herod: an essay in the sociology of religion." Journal for the Study of the New Testament , no. 56 (December 1, 1994): 126-318. Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors." Journal for the Study of the New Testament , no. 55 (September 1, 1994): 126-318. Link to Item
- Other Articles
  - Sheppard, BM. "Considering the Commentary." The Bible and Interpretation (February 2014). (Essay) Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Primary Level Education and the Making of Biblical Interpreters." The Bible and Interpretation (January 2014). (Essay) Link to Item
  - Sheppard, BM. "Naming and Framing New Testament History." The Bible and Interpretation . (Essay) Link to Item
Artistic Works & Non-Print Media
- Photographs
  - Turkey: Archaeology and Religious Sites. Archivist. 2015
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Global Scholarship

Teaching

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Books

Book Sections

Journal Articles

Other Articles

Artistic Works & Non-Print Media

Photographs

Recent Courses