Luke Irwin

Near the close of his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the Venerable Bede wrote this prayer: 

I pray thee, merciful Jesus, that as thou hast graciously granted me sweet draughts from the word which tells of thee, so wilt thou, of thy goodness, grant that I may come at length to thee, the fount of all wisdom, and stand before thy face for ever (5.25). 

Covenant's BTS program cultivates a similar vision of Jesus Christ, one committed to knowing his word and thus also committed to seeing him as he has revealed himself and as he will be manifested in his glory. 

Any student who wants to know the mystery of Christ and discover what it means to see him should consider Covenant. 

Education

• BA in Philosophy, Covenant College (2010)
• MDiv, Covenant Seminary (2017)
• MA in Theology and Religion, Durham University (2018)
• PhD in Theology and Religion, Durham University (2022). 

Interests / Specialization

My research interests gravitate most toward theologies of divine transcendence in Graeco-Roman, Early Jewish, and Early Christian thought. In my doctoral work, I argued that unless Jesus presents the visibility of God to humanity and brings God into physical proximity to humanity, belief cannot exist. I pursued how the incarnation is a material revelation of God. Study of the role of divine embodiment in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East as well as of place as the locus of all human experience drove this research. In subsequent studies, I intend to explore the nature of divine transcendence in the first century. 

Selected Professional Work

• Irwin, Luke. “Divine Visibility in the Gospel of John.” Harvard Theological Review (accepted).
• Jesus’s Body and Divine Glory in John’s Gospel.” Presbyterion 47 (2021): 69–72.
• “Andrew Louth’s Discerning the Mystery: Late Twentieth-Century Wisdom for the Early Twenty-First.” Presbyterion 44 (2018): 98–109.
• “Divine Visibility in John’s Gospel.” Society of Biblical Literature. San Antonio, TX. 2021.
• “Crucified and Raised on the Cosmic Mountain: The Gardens of the Fourth Gospel and the Presence of God.” British New Testament Conference. Durham University, UK. 2021.

Get to know your professor

Q. If you could compete in an olympic sport, what would it be and why?
A. Ice Hockey is a compelling blend of elegance, coordination, and endurance. I could be interested in that. 

Q. Favorite movie?
A. 8 1/2, Lawrence of Arabia, Das Boot, or Bladerunner. Depends on the day. 

Q. Favorite local restaurant?
A. Canopy Coffee 

Q. Favorite food?
A. Steak or shrimp and grits or tacos. This is an excruciatingly difficult question. 

Q. What is one thing that instantly makes your day better?
A. Exercise

Q. If you could teach any other major, what would it be?
A. Either English or Philosophy. I enjoy both. 

Q. Personal Interests/Hobbies
A. My hobbies include fountain pens, classic fiction, good coats, film, and hard cardio and TRX. I love traveling with my wife, reading to my son, cooking, chatting with my colleagues, and sitting around bonfires with my closest friends.