• Early Christian writers (1st-2nd c.)
• textual authority
• social identity and leadership in antiquity

My project at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies examines the use of authoritative texts in early Christian processes of identity construction. The objectives are 1) to produce new knowledge of the ways in which early Christian writers used authoritative texts when shaping the group identity of their audience, 2) to develop concepts and models for analysing the authority of texts, and 3) to demonstrate the connections between power, identity and scriptural argumentation. The results will provide significant new perspectives by combining the use of authoritative texts with identity construction and develop models for analysing textual authority. At the same time, they may also help to understand the identity building processes of our own time. To examine the interplay between using authoritative tradition, shaping the identity of one’s audience, and wielding power through texts, the project combines close textual study, study of rhetoric, and social psychological theories. The source texts are early Christian writings from the 1st and 2nd centuries CE and include Pauline letters, Hebrews, James and 1 Peter, 1 and 2 Clement, the Epistle of Barnabas, and Justin Martyr’s works.

15/8 2022–14/8 2025 Post-doctoral researcher, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki.

1/7–14/8 2022       Post-doctoral researcher, research grant from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation for full-time research. Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki.

1/6–15/7 2021       Post-doctoral researcher, research grant from the Emil Aaltonen Foundation for full-time research. Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki.

1/10 2020–31/5 2021 Science Secretary, Young Academy Finland, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.

1-12/2020-   Postdoctoral researcher, research grant from the Emil Aaltonen Foundation. Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki.

8/2018-12/2019  Postdoctoral researcher, Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions, University of Helsinki

2/2018 Doctor of Theology, University of Helsinki

• Doctoral Dissertation: Argumentation by Quotations: The Rhetorical Functions of Scriptural Quotations in Romans. Grade: Pass with Distinction

• Major: New Testament Studies
• Minor: Greek Language and Literature

International Mobility

• Visiting researcher at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, University of Oxford, UK, 1/2019–4/2019 
• Visiting researcher at the Durham University, UK, 9/2014–6/2015
• Exchange year at Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany, 2010–2011

Pedagogical Competence

University Pedagogy Training, University of Helsinki

• Constructive Alignment in Course Design, 5 ETCS (UP 2.1), 2019               
• Teaching and learning in Higher Education, 5 ETCS (UP 1), 2016                                                                      
• Assessment of learning and giving feedback, 5 ETCS (UP4), 2016
• Pedagogical Studies (teacher training for secondary school), 60 ETCS, University of Helsinki, 2013

Teaching at the University of Helsinki

• Teacher of the course Introduction to New Testament Greek, Faculty of Theology
• Teacher of the course The Text, Research and Theology of the New Testament, Faculty of Theology, 2018
• Teacher of a Greek workshop, Faculty of Theology, 2017
• Tutor of academic writing in the module Biblical Studies in Practice, Faculty of Theology, 2017
• Lecturer and course assistant in Introduction to the New Testament, Faculty of Theology, 2016
• Teacher of the course Introduction to New Testament Greek, Faculty of Theology
• Tutor of academic writing in the module Biblical Studies in Practice, Faculty of Theology, 2014
• Assistant at a master’s thesis seminar, Faculty of Theology, 2013-14

Awards and Prizes

• Student Prize for the best New Testament Paper, European Association of Biblical Studies, 2015
• Master’s Thesis Award of the Finnish Exegetical Society, 2013
• Scholarship from Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst foundation for an exchange year in Germany, 2010–11

Other Academic Activity

•  Member of the Academy of Finland’s Centre of Excellence Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions, 2014–19
• Member of the Young Academy of Finland (connected to the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters), 6/2018-
• Chair of the Programme Unit The Roman Forum in the European Association of Biblical Studies, 2015–17

2/2018    Doctor of Theology, University of Helsinki

5/2013   Master of Theology, University of Helsinki

5/2010   Bachelor of Theology, University of Helsinki