Margaret Eaton

In addition to a BA in Religious Studies and a BD (=MDiv), she holds a PhD in biblical studies. Her PhD topic was on the way an aspect of Hebrew stylistics was translated into the Greek of the Septuagint. She also has qualifications in linguistics and is writing a book on conversational strategies in the Hebrew Bible. In addition she has a wide variety of general knowledge of all kinds, especially social and industrial history.

She can usually be found wearing one of two kinds of hats: 1) the teacher kind, in which case she is either a Teaching Fellow at the University of Otago or a distance educator in theological education, 2) the translator kind, when she is a translation consultant with the World Bible Translation Center or a French into English translator. She makes a specialty of working with mature and disabled students and those for whom English is not the mother tongue, because those students often exhibit an unusually high level of commitment.

She regularly speaks to scholarly societies on various aspects of biblical studies and linguistics, and her writing includes articles on flyting and translation.

Academic writing and editing consultant
Grant writer

Academic Qualifications:

Language and Culture, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Auckland, New Zealand, 1999

Diploma for Graduates (Linguistics), University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1997

Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Religious Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1994

Bachelor of Divinity, Master of Divinity, Faculty of Theology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1990

Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies), Faculty of Arts, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand, 1981

Teaching Experience:

Tutor, Ecumenical Institute of Distance Theological Studies (2001--)

Adjunct, Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Otago (1998--)

Tutor, Department of Religious Studies and Faculty of Theology, University of Otago (1990-4)

Relieving Lecturer, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of Otago, (March-April 1993)

Lecturer, (women in religion & spirituality) at Dunedin Workers’ Educational Association (1986-7)

Tutor, National Certificate in Religious Studies, Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington (1980)

Competence to Teach in the Following Areas:

Classical Hebrew (to an advanced level), Old Testament issues, such as oral tradition, literature, history, exegesis, theology.

Koine Greek (to an advanced level), New Testament issues, such as “from spoken story to written Word”, history, exegesis, theology.

Introductory Religious Studies courses, with a speciality in Western religions, especially the many features they hold in common, e.g. revelation, written scripture, source, ethical considerations, after-life, prophecy, etc.

History of biblical interpretation, including its influence on social issues (e.g. slavery), sexual issues (e.g. contraception), and ecological issues (e.g. destruction of species’ habitat).

Biblical texts in the light of linguistics, enabling a deeper understanding of the richness found there. For example, semantics, including the historical development of word meaning, in association with pragmatics to illuminate aspects of social history, both of which throw invaluable light on exegetical questions.

Issues in orality and literacy, comprising, for example, stylistics, the way information is transmitted in oral cultures, and comparison of biblical tradition with other orally transmitted traditions.

Publications:

Study & Writing Guide, Ecumenical Institute of Distance Theological Studies, 2002

“The Intractable Servant of the Septuagint: translating ‘ebed”, The Bible Translator, March 1997

Introduction to the Study of the Bible, Suva, Fiji: PTC Publications, 1996

“Some Instances of Flyting in the Hebrew Bible”, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 61 (1994): 3-14.

Assessment and Consulting:

Thesis Examining:

Ph.D. in Department of Translation Studies, University of Helsinki, Kouvola, Finland, 2006

Master of Theology in Department of Theology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, 1999

Master of Theology in Department of Biblical Studies, Pacific Theological College, Suva, Fiji, 1996

Translation Consultancy:

World Bible Translation Center, Ft. Worth TX (2000 —)
Comparing English back translations with biblical Hebrew texts, such as:
Psalms 1-77 from Awadhi (a dialect of Hindi)
Psalms 43-106 from Korean
Nehemiah from Gujarati
Nehemiah from Korean
Song of Songs from Serbian
Joel from Urdu
Obadiah from Urdu
Habbakuk from Urdu
Haggai fromUrdu
Zechariah from Awadhi
Malachi from Urdu
Assistant Director/Editor,

Pacific Theological College Education by Extension, Suva, Fiji (1995-6).
My brief was to design, prepare, market and distribute courses for a Diploma in Theological Studies throughout the Pacific. It remains a successful and developing venture.

Feedback

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