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Department of

Theology and Religious Studies

Maria Pascuzzi, S.T.D.

Associate Professor, Theology and Religious Studies

Maria Pascuzzi, S.T.D., has been a member of the faculty since 2000.  She teaches undergraduate courses on the critical study of the Bible, especially in the area of New Testament.

Education

S.T.D., Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy; Biblical Studies
S.S.L. (Licentiate in Sacred Scripture), Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, Italy
S.T.B.,  Providence College,
M.A., Providence College, Biblical Studies
B.A., Saint Joseph’s College, N.Y.; English and Secondary Education

Scholarly and Creative Work

Pascuzzi’s research focuses on earliest Christianity and the texts produced by and for the first believers, with special attention to the letters of Paul. In her  book, Ethics, Ecclesiology and Church Discipline: A Rhetorical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 5, (1997) she examined the persuasive strategies Paul employed to move former pagans to adopt patterns of behavior appropriate to their new Christian status. In 1 and 2 Corinthians. A Commentary, (2005) she studied Paul’s rhetorical strategies and theological message throughout the entire Corinthian correspondence. She has also lectured and published on Paul’s views on the Law and the Jewish people, on the role of women in earliest Christianity and, more recently, on Paul’s thought and praxis as they evidence opposition to the prevailing ‘gospel’ of the Roman Empire.  Pascuzzi is also interested in ecological hermeneutics, a recent current in biblical interpretation attentive to retrieving biblical traditions that promote ethical responsibility for non-human creation. She is also engaged in a book-length study of the status and role of children in the Bible.

Teaching Interests

Pascuzzi has taught a variety of courses at USD. At the lower division level, she regularly teaches Introduction to Biblical Studies, a course designed to enable students to move beyond a literal reading of the text to an appreciation of the historical development and theological significance of the traditions found in the Old and New Testaments. At the upper division level, Pascuzzi offers courses on the Gospel of John and the Johannine letters, the Letters of Saint Paul, and Luke-Acts with special attention to the social and cultural contexts which shaped the theology of these writings. Pascuzzi also teaches in the Honors Program