BA, MA, MSt
Ruthanne Brooks is a third-year DPhil student in Theology & Religion (Hebrew Bible) under the supervision of Professor Hindy Najman. She is generously supported by the UK Arts & Humanities Research Council and the University of Oxford’s Clarendon Fund, in partnership with St. John’s College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) in Bible & Theology from Malone University, Masters of Arts (summa cum laude) in Biblical Languages and Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Master of Studies (distinction) in Classical Hebrew Studies at Oxford (Wolfson College).
Ruthanne specializes in sapiential discourse, with a particular focus on the themes of hiddenness and mystery across Second Temple literature. Her DPhil project explores the concept of darkness; analyzing texts such as Second Isaiah and the wilderness-Sinai narrative, she challenges conventional associations of darkness with negativity or absence by framing it as a space of potentiality, revelation, and divine encounter.
Her further research interests include philosophical hermeneutics, metaphor theory, and reception history. During her time at Oxford, she has also served as the Middle Common Room President for the postgraduate community at St. John’s College.