Dr Logan Williams

Biography

After completing my undergraduate studies at Biola University (BA, 2011–2014), I moved to the United Kingdom for postgraduate study, first at St Andrews (MLitt, 2015–2016) and then at Durham (PhD, 2016–2020), where I wrote on incarnational christology and ethics in Paul's letter to the Galatians. I then became lecturer at University of Exeter (2022–2023) and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2023–2024). At Aberdeen I am currently the Kirby Laing Research Fellow in New Testament, a position generously funded by the Kirby Laing Foundation until January 2027, for which I am conducting a research project on Jesus and Pharisaic law in the gospel of Mark.

External Memberships

• Society of Biblical Literature 

• British New Testament Society

Prizes and Awards

• 2022 SBL Achtemeier Award for New Testament Scholarship

Research Overview

My research explores matters of ethics, law, and christology in the New Testament and its ancient Jewish context. Put another way, I am interested in how the interpretation of the Torah and conceptions of Jesus informed how the earliest Jewish Christians thought Jesus-followers should behave. This research requires close engagement with a variety of adjacent topoi, including the emergence and development of early christology, conceptions of human transformation, and the history of halakhah (i.e., legal praxis) in ancient Judaism as it comes to expression in the Dead Sea Scrolls and early rabbinic literature.

Current Research

My current research project, entitled Jesus against Pharisaic Law: The Torah and the Traditions of Men in Mark's Gospel, explores Jesus' dispute with the Pharisees in the gospel of Mark (especially as it appears in Mark 7.1–23), in the context of intersectarian and anti-Pharisaic polemics in ancient Judaism. The book emerging from this research is currently contracted with Eerdmans.

Knowledge Exchange

Jesus and Jewish Law Podcast

I am the co-host for the podcast Jesus and Jewish Law (with Paul Sloan of Houston Christian University). Since the subject of law in the New Testament is a perennial topic of confusion for many bible readers, in this podcast we try to demystify some difficult topics and challenge familiar ways of reading Jesus' teaching about the law in the gospels. Our episodes bring cutting-edge research on law in the New Testament to listeners, communicated at an accessible level. You can listen to the podcast here. 

Teaching Responsibilities

My teaching focuses on the New Testament and ancient Judaism at all levels (sub-honours, honours, and masters).

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

I convene a weekly departmental Koine Greek study group, in which we learn by speaking and full immersion. This is open to faculty and students at any Greek level. Please email me if you are interested in joining.