FERRUM, VA (October 25, 2022) – In his new book, The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate, Ferrum College religion professor Eric Vanden Eykel helps readers better understand both the Magi and the ancient and modern interpreters who have studied them.
Vanden Eykel has long been fascinated by the “wise men” or “Magi” in the Gospel of Matthew who come to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the newly born Jesus. He has also been dissatisfied with how he heard scholars and ministers explain the significance of the story. In The Magi — published today by Fortress Press — Vanden Eykel shows how, from a mere twelve verses in the Gospel of Matthew, a varied and vast literary and artistic tradition was born.
“I thought it would be interesting to write a book about who Matthew imagined these characters to be, and how others have thought about them as well,” explained Vanden Eykel. “My hope is that this book will help readers rediscover the Magi and also come to a greater appreciation of the awe and creativity that their story has inspired over the past two-thousand years.”
The Magi is one of two Vanden Eykel books published this month. He also co-edited Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts with Christy Cobb, assistant professor of Christianity at University of Denver. Published by Lexington Books, this collection of essays explores examples of sexual violence and mentions of it in the literature of early Christianity in canonical and noncanonical Christian texts from the first until the fifth centuries CE.
Vanden Eykel, who is also the Forrest S. Williams Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Ferrum College, began work on both books at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic using time he previously spent commuting before the College went online. “One thing I discovered about myself is that I’m someone who deals with stress by taking on additional tasks. I think that’s probably the best explanation for why I’ve spent the past two years working on two different books,” said Vanden Eykel.
Kevin Reilly, vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of Psychology at Ferrum College, said the College is proud of what VandenEykel accomplished in such a short time. “In addition to being an excellent teacher, Dr. Vanden Eykel is a talented scholar. These two works add great value to the literature in both Ancient History and Religion,” said Reilly.
“These books made life exceedingly busy for the past couple of years, but it’s such a rewarding experience to see both of them finally in print,” Vanden Eykel concluded.
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Eric Vanden Eykel, associate professor of Religion and Forrest S. Williams Teaching Chair in the Humanities at Ferrum College, will be available to sign both of his new books — The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate and Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Texts — during an event held in his honor that will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 14, 2022, in the Panthers Den in Franklin Hall on campus.
Learn more about The Magi: Who They Were, How They’ve Been Remembered, and Why They Still Fascinate, published by Fortress Press, here.
Learn more about Sex, Violence, and Early Christian Text, published by Lexington Books, here.
