Rev. Dr. Eugen J. Pentiuc Awarded Two Prestigious Fellowships for the Academic Year 2009-2010

Lilly Faculty Fellowship
Fulbright Scholar Fellowship

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary- USA

Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc was awarded a Lilly Faculty Fellowship ($30,000) in support of his research for a book entitled, The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition (under contract with the Oxford University Press, 2011). Up to six such awards are made annually to faculty at school-members of the Association of Theological schools in the United States and Canada. The grant description states that awards are “made on a competitive basis for high-quality research projects that demonstrate significance for theological education and applicability to the life of the wider academy, faith communities, and contemporary society.”

In his letter addressed to Fr. Nicholas C. Triantafilou, President of Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, Daniel O. Aleshire, Executive Director of the Association of Theological Schools, writes: “My colleagues on the staff of The Association of Theological Schools and the members of the Lilly Theological Research Grants Selection Panel join me in congratulating not only Eugen J. Pentiuc but Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology as well on this honor. This work [i.e., The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition] promises to stimulate theological scholarship that will be of benefit to students in seminaries, communities of faith, and to public at large.”

Fr. Pentiuc also received a Fulbright Scholar Fellowship at the University of Athens to conduct research for the aforementioned book. From the online description, “The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.” The recipients of this fellowship are “chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.”

During his 2009-2010 sabbatical, Fr. Pentiuc will be a Visiting Professor at the Ecole Biblique et Archeologique Francaise, Jerusalem. The name of “Ecole Biblique” is connected to the discovery and deciphering of the “Dead Sea (Qumran) Scrolls.” Fr. Pentiuc will teach a course entitled, “The Patristic Reception of the Book of Hosea.” While at the Ecole, Fr. Pentiuc will work on the book of Hosea (translation and notes) as contribution to the newly announced Bible project of the Ecole, The Bible in Its Traditions, designed to replace the Bible of Jerusalem, which has been the preeminent study Bible for the second half of the twentieth century.

Fr. Eugen J. Pentiuc is Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He joined the school in 1998. He has published five books and numerous articles. His latest book, Jesus the Messiah in the Hebrew Bible was published by Paulist Press in 2005. Fr. Pentiuc is also one of the editors-in-chief of the Orthodox Study Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2008).

His research lies in the areas of Old Testament and Semitic languages and civilizations. He is currently engaged in research on religious and literary ties of Emar civilization to the Hebrew Bible, as well as the ways the Eastern Orthodox tradition received and interpreted the Old Testament. Fr. Pentiuc has been the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award, granted by Hellenic College-Holy Cross Student Association, for three consecutive years (2005-2007).

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