Frank Spina
Professor Emeritus of Old Testament
Education: MDiv, Asbury Theological Seminary, 1968; MA, University of Michigan, 1970; PhD, University of Michigan, 1977. At SPU 1973–2019.
In his early career, Frank Anthony Spina published in the area of the history of Israel, building on research first presented in his doctoral dissertation, “The Concept of Social Rage in Israel and the Ancient Near East” (see CV).
More recently, Dr. Spina has published in the area of biblical theology, concentrating on theological readings of Old Testament narratives. In 2008, he gave the Winifred Weter Faculty Award lecture, “Multiplying Divisions: A Figural Reading of the Story of the Levite’s Concubine (Judges 19-21).”
Dr. Spina is a frequent speaker in churches in the Pacific Northwest and at other venues around the country. He gave the Wilson R. King lectures at Greenville College and the Wayne and Darlene McCown lectures at Roberts Wesleyan University. He has also lectured at Walla Walla College, Spring Arbor College, the University of Portland, Warner Pacific College, George Fox College, Western Evangelical Seminary, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Dr. Spina is an Episcopal priest, serving as associate priest at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Bellevue, Washington.
Books
The Faith of the Outsider: Exclusion and Inclusion in the Biblical Story
Eerdmans, 2005
"If someone were going to invent a story designed to make a people look good and therefore deserving of divine election, the result would never have been the Old Testament depiction of Israel... Just as Israel did not deserve to be divinely elected, the world did not deserve to receive the benefits of God’s grace either; but in both cases God’s limitless and amazing grace was operative." (7-8)
View Dr. Spina’s CV (PDF) for a list of publications.