The languages of the Bible have been my passion since I was 15 years old. While in high school, I was taught New Testament Greek, modern Hebrew, biblical Hebrew, Aramaic and Ugaritic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I went on to pursue ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto. I studied Hebrew, Aramaic, Hellenistic Greek, Syriac, Akkadian, and Sumerian there. I served as a research assistant for Michael V. Fox at the UW-Madison as he prepared his books on Song of Songs and Qohelet. I earned a graduate degree at the Waldensian Theological Seminary-Rome with a dissertation on First Isaiah, and taught Hebrew and OT seminars there. I earned a graduate degree at the UW-Madison and taught Biblical Hebrew there. I studied for a year at the Pontifical Biblical Institute-Rome and a year at the Kirchliche Hochschule Bethel in Bielefeld, Germany. My current research focus is ancient Hebrew poetry.
I am an ordained pastor in the Waldensian Church - Union of Waldensian and Methodist Churches in Italy. Currently my wife Paola and I serve United Methodist congregations in Wisconsin. She is a new church planter; I try not to ruin old ones. We have three children: Giovanni, Elisabetta, and Anna.
John authors the blog Ancient Hebrew Poetry.