Research interests: Gnosticism, Nag Hammadi Library, Early Christian Gospels, New Testament Apocrypha, Early Christian Women, Coptic Language and Literature

Leader of the research team Social Roles and Occupations in Early Christianity (funded by the Academy of Finland 2009-13)

Leader of the research project Gnosticism and the Formation of Christianity, 2011-); Leader of the Research Project on the Publication of the Coptic Manuscripts of the Ilves Collection (2014-)

Courses taught: New Testament Greek; Biblical Hebrew; Coptic; Introduction to Biblical Exegetics and Hermeneutics; Introduction to the New Testament; Lectures and Pro-Seminars on Gnosticism, Extra-Canonical Gospels, Influential Women in Early Christianity, New Testament Apocrypha, New Testament Canon; Methodology of Biblical Studies; New (and Old) Testament Seminars (Family in the New Testament World; Old Testament and New Testament Apocrypha; Early Christian Women; Death and Afterlife in the Bible; Ethnicity, Cultic Communities, and Group Membership in the Biblical World; Second-Century Christianity).

Supervised doctoral theses (completed): Tilde Bak (2012, University of Copenhagen), Ulla Tervahauta (2013, University of Helsinki), Susanna Asikainen (2016, University of Helsinki)

Local Coordinator and Teacher of the International Master’s Programme Religious Roots of Europe (RRE) run by six Nordic Universities (Aarhus, Bergen, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Lund, Oslo) (2009-

Curriculum Vitae

Professor of Gnostic Studies (University of Helsinki; 2012-)

Professor of Gnostic Studies and Early Christian Literature (University of Helsinki; 2008-2012)

Doctor of Theology, Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki (1996)

Docent of New Testament Studies, University of Helsinki (1996)

Full-Time University Teacher and Lecturer (University of Helsinki; 1983-93); Project Researcher (University of Helsinki; 1994-09); Acting Professor of New Testament Studies (University of Helsinki; 1999); Acting Professor of Biblical Languages (University of Helsinki; 2000-03); Research Fellow of the Academy of Finland (2003-08); Deputy of the Centre of Excellence at the University of Helsinki and Åbo Akademi University sponsored by the Academy of Finland (“Research Unit on the Formation of Early Jewish and Christian Ideology”), 2000-2003; Head of the Department of Biblical Studies (2000-03).

Teacher of the Year 1992, The Faculty Association for Theology Students (TYT)