Dr. Matthew Pawlak

Matthew Pawlak is the Academic Network Leader of Trust and Society – The Global Network on Trust. He is responsible for defining and implementating T&S’ vision, strategy, and goals—working in close collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ehret—as well as building relationships and collaborations with trust researchers, practitioners, and networks. He holds a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge and is the author of Sarcasm in Paul’s Letters—winner of the 2024 Beare Aware from the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies. His current research focuses on dynamics of trust and distrust within and between first- and second-century Christian communities. Matthew is passionate about fostering high-quality interdisciplinary research and is highly motivated to establish T&S as a a hub for creating meaningful dialogue between the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, as well as a leader in bridging research and practice.

• PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (University of Cambridge, 2020)
• Master of Arts in Religious Studies (McMaster University, Canada, 2016)

• Trust
• New Testament and Early Christianity
• Irony and Humour Studies
• Hellenistic Judaism and Classics

Adhésions professionnelles

2023 – Present  Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas
2023 – Present  American Academy of Religion
2015 – Present  Society of Biblical Literature
2014 – Present  Canadian Society of Biblical Studies

• Matthew Pawlak, “Disambiguating Forms of Irony in Second Corinthians 10–13,” in Irony in the Bible: Between Subversion and Innovation, ed. Tobias Häner, Virginia Miller, and Carolyn J. Sharp (Biblical Interpretation Series 209), Leiden: Brill, 2023: 312–27.
• Matthew Pawlak, Sarcasm in Paul’s Letters (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022.
• Matthew Pawlak, “Verbal Irony in Translation: LXX Amos 4:4–5, Isaiah 47:10–13, Ezekiel 28:1–19.” Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 134.4 (2022): 500–514.
• Matthew Pawlak, “Paul’s Escape from Damascus (2 Cor 11:32–33) and the corona muralis,” New Testament Studies 68.2 (2022): 172–87.
• Matthew Pawlak, “Is Galatians an Ironic Letter? Θαυμάζω, Ancient Letter Writing Handbooks, and Galatians 1.6.” Novum Testamentum 63.2 (2021): 249–70.
• Matthew Pawlak, “How to Be Sarcastic in Greek: Typical Means of Signaling Sarcasm in the New Testament and Lucian.” HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research 32.4 (2019): 545–64.
• Matthew Pawlak, “Consistency Isn’t Everything: Self-Commendation in Second Corinthians.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 40.3 (2018): 360–82.
• Matthew Pawlak, “A desperate romantic gesture: sexuality and slavery in Joseph and Aseneth.” Journal of Jewish Studies 69.2 (2018): 248–55.