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In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Sam Boyd, a 精品SM在线影片 scholar of Biblical studies, dove into the study of religious texts 鈥榮o I know what I鈥檓 talking about鈥�

When he tells people about his research, Sam Boyd is often met with perplexed looks and questions. But why are you studying the Bible? Don鈥檛 we know everything there is to know already?

But the University of Colorado faculty member simply smiles and explains that while the Bible is extremely popular 鈥� it鈥檚 the world鈥檚 best-selling book of all time 鈥� it鈥檚 still ripe for exploration.

鈥淭he answer is always, 鈥楴o, we know next to nothing about it still,鈥欌�� said Boyd, an assistant professor of religious studies and Jewish studies.

Perhaps that鈥檚 why Boyd, who also serves as the director of undergraduate studies for the Program in Jewish Studies, is such a productive scholar 鈥� he鈥檚 driven by an intense curiosity and the desire to solve what he describes as a 鈥渞eally interesting, sophisticated puzzle鈥� in understanding the Bible.听

Case in point, he鈥檚 in the process of writing his second book, which is based on an article being published in the Journal of Near Eastern Studies this spring about the Tower of Babel passage in the book of Genesis. This year, he was also a member of the inaugural cohort of fellows in the Research and Innovation Office, a prestigious new program that seeks to build and enhance scholarly leadership across campus.听

Beyond that, fellow professors say Boyd is a congenial colleague who is dedicated to service within the department and building bridges to other disciplines. As a teacher, Boyd is 鈥渋nspiring and challenging,鈥� forcing students to think critically about widely accepted views of the Bible, said David Shneer, chair of the religious studies department.听

This well-rounded faculty member, who became CU鈥檚 first Biblical scholar when he arrived in the fall of 2015, is already considered a rising star in his department and across the campus at large.

鈥淗e鈥檚 unbelievable, and we鈥檙e really, really lucky to have him,鈥� said Nan Goodman, director of the Program in Jewish Studies. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really ramped up the intellectual rigor of the department, both for the students and among his colleagues. His scholarship is meticulous and innovative and he has really shed a huge amount of light on what the Bible is as a text.鈥澨�

Boyd didn鈥檛 always want to become a professor 鈥� in fact, when he was a kid, he dreamt of growing up to be Indiana Jones. He studied economics and American history as an undergraduate at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and was working at a bank when a series of conversations caused him to rethink his career path entirely.

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Boyd remembers having happy hour debates with his coworkers about Christianity, Islam and other religions. But for Boyd, these after after-work conversations went much deeper.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥業 should go read these texts so I know what I鈥檓 talking about鈥� and I just got hooked 鈥� that鈥檚 what led me on this journey,鈥� he said.

He earned a master of divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary before earning his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 2014. Today, he uses more than 20 languages to study ancient texts and gain a better understanding of the conversations Biblical scribes were having with the world around them through their writing.

鈥淭he basic question I ask is, 鈥榃here did the Bible come from? Why did people start writing it?鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淧eople think of the Bible as just a book you pull off the shelf at Barnes & Noble and it鈥檚 always kind of looked like this, and that鈥檚 not the case.鈥�

Though religion can be a polarizing issue, Boyd has made a point of reaching out to pastors, rabbis and imams in Colorado to introduce himself since arriving at 精品SM在线影片 from Chicago three years ago. He said he hopes his work can help spark a constructive dialogue that transcends political and religious differences.

鈥淚 am not out to tell people whether God exists or whether there鈥檚 one or many gods or whether God is a man or a woman 鈥� that is not what I do,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in the people walking around in the ancient Near East whose thought is reflected in what becomes the Bible, the very real issues of what it means to be human in the world.鈥�

Because interpretations of Bible passages are referenced so frequently in popular culture, political discourse and everyday conversations, Boyd and his colleagues say they believe it鈥檚 more important than ever to understand what this book actually says.

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 the attack on the synagogue in Pittsburgh or whether it鈥檚 our presidential election, it鈥檚 important for us to get it right and be responsible with it, whether we鈥檙e religious or not,鈥� Boyd said.

The topic of his forthcoming journal article and book provides a perfect example of why Boyd鈥檚 research into ancient Biblical texts is so relevant today.听

Traditionally, the Tower of Babel story has been interpreted like this: People attempted to build a tower that reached heaven, but were stymied when God caused them to speak different languages and scattered them across the earth.

In the modern era, politicians and pundits have used this interpretation in debates about immigration reform, arguing that multilingualism is a sign of God鈥檚 curse and should be avoided at all costs; a similar interpretation also appears in literature and art. For example, Pat Buchanan, who unsuccessfully ran for president three times in the 1990s and early 2000s, has cited the Tower of Babel story to argue against multiculturalism in America. Bobby Jindal, the former Louisiana governor who made an unsuccessful 2016 presidential bid, used 鈥淭ower of Babel鈥� to criticize Democrats鈥� love of diversity in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

But based on his analysis of the syntax and the order of Biblical chapters, Boyd argues that the story is not about language at all.

鈥淲hen we take the Tower of Babel story and put it in its ancient Near Eastern context 鈥� Syrian kings would talk about 鈥榦ne mouth鈥� as a political metaphor,鈥� Boyd said. 鈥淚t had nothing to do with everyone speaking the same language, but was about political unification and fragmentation against authority. And boy, if we鈥檝e gotten that story wrong, that has a big impact on people鈥檚 political metaphors, a big impact on art history, on literature.鈥�

In essence, much of Boyd鈥檚 research can fundamentally change the way we think about the Bible and call into question long-held notions about morality, human behavior, diversity and other topics.

These types of research revelations from Boyd consistently impressed the 12 other inaugural Research and Innovation Office faculty fellows, a cohort of early to mid-career tenured and tenure-track professors who were identified as leaders in research, collaboration and systems thinking.

The first group of participants in the new program spent 2018 forming cross-campus relationships, improving and developing leadership skills, setting professional goals and discussing the significance of their roles within the university community and in society at large. The second cohort will begin the fellowship in January 2019.

鈥淢ost of the faculty in the program were mesmerized whenever Sam spoke because he had such a breadth of understanding of humanity and history through his studies of the Bible,鈥� said Kirsten Rowell, program director for the fellowship program. 鈥淲e had a really broad group of intellects in the program, and we were all thinking, 鈥極h my gosh, I need to understand more.鈥欌�澨�