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Biography
Dr. Ryan was born and raised in the multicultural city of Toronto, Canada. His parents worked with the unhoused youth population in the inner city, and he grew up in the heart of the city in community with some of its most marginalized people. These experiences contributed to his formation and continue to shape his thought and teaching, giving him an interest in Jesus and the Gospels.
Dr. Ryan’s research focuses on situating the New Testament in its ancient Jewish and Roman background, which includes the archaeology of Roman Galilee and Judea. Archaeology plays a particularly important role in that endeavor, as it provides a window into daily life and local institutions and presents the lives of the non-elites of the biblical world, whose voices may not be preserved through text. He has been a member of the excavations at Magdala and is currently a staff member of the Tel Shimron excavations. Some of his work has involved the study of ancient synagogues and ancient churches. Dr. Ryan is also interested in biblical interpretation and scholarship done for and from diaspora Asian Christian communities in the United States and Canada.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Honours (B.A., Hon.)
University of Toronto, 2009
Master of Arts (M.A.)
St. Michael’s College (Toronto School of Theology), 2011
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
McMaster University, 2016
Professional Affiliations
- Institute for Biblical Research
- Society of Biblical Literature
- American Schools of Overseas Research
Primary Research Interests
- Gospels
- New Testament
- Historical Jesus
- Ancient Synagogues
- Ancient Churches
- Archaeology of Galilee and in the Early Roman Period
- Early Judaism
- Jewish Background of the New Testament
- Early Reception of Jesus and the Gospels
- Asian American Biblical Interpretation
Selected Publications
Books
Ryan, Jordan J. The Role of the Synagogue in the Aims of Jesus. Minneapolis: Fortress Press: 2017.
Ryan, Jordan J. From the Passion to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: Memories of Jesus in Place, Pilgrimage, and Early Holy Sites Over the First Three Centuries. The Reception of Jesus in the First Three Centuries. London and New York: T&T Clark, (2021).