Christopher B. Ansberry

Education

• Ph.D., Old Testament, Wheaton College
• M.A., Biblical Exegesis, Wheaton College

What are the main focuses of your research?

• Old Testament “wisdom literature” (i.e., Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs)
• The interrelationship between biblical texts and theology as well as philosophy
• The interrelationship between biblical texts and ethics

Courses Taught
In addition to HUMA core courses, I teach classes on Old Testament books (e.g., wisdom literature) and a course on biblical interpretation. 

What is the most important piece of advice you give your students to help them succeed?
Self-knowledge is hard-won. We only ever know ourselves in relation to God and others. Recognition of our limits and dependence is foundational to the acquisition of wisdom and growth in the lifelong journey of wisdom; it cultivates the humility and receptivity necessary for understanding. This advice informs my teaching and activities in the classroom, which seek to facilitate the development of character and virtue rather than the intellectual mastery of a body of knowledge.  

Selected publications

Books:

• Reading Wisdom and Psalms as Christian Scripture: A Literary, Canonical, and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2024.
• Proverbs: The (Trans)formation of Character in accord with Wisdom and Virtue. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2024.
• (with Christopher M. Hays), eds., Evangelical Faith and the Challenge of Historical Criticism. London, SPCK, 2013; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.
• Be Wise, My Son, and Make My Heart Glad: An Exploration of the Courtly Nature of the Book of Proverbs. BZAW 422. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2010.

Articles:

• “A Note on Proverbs 22:16,” Vetus Testamentum 75 (2025): 1–9.
• “From Philosophical Theories to Phenomenological Description: Evaluating the Epistemology of Proverbs 10:1–22:16,” Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel 13 (2024): 336–50.
• “Scripture Interprets Scripture: Reading Scripture Canonically,” The Global Anglican 136 (2022): 239–53.
• “Proverbs.” Pages 137–61 in The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Wisdom Literature. Edited by Katharine Dell, Arthur Keefer, and Suzanna Millar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022.
• “Turning up the Lights: The Trinity in the Old Testament,” Primer 9 (2019): 40–57.
• “Wisdom in Biblical Theology.” Pages 174–93 in Exploring Old Testament Wisdom: Literature and Themes. Edited by David Firth and Lindsay Wilson. London: Apollos, 2016; Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016.
• “What Does Jerusalem Have to Do with Athens? The Moral Vision of the Book of Proverbs and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics,” Hebrew Studies 51 (2010): 157–73.

Is there any additional personal experience you would like to share?
With my family, I very much enjoy cooking, golf, and supporting the Arsenal Football Club. Having lived in England for many years, we also enjoy traveling. 

Staff/Faculty Image
Lastname	Ansberry
Title	Chair, Associate Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies
Grove City College Alumni
Office Phone Number	724-426-1325
Email Address	AnsberryCB@gcc.edu