Matthew Goldstone is Assistant Academic Dean and Assistant Professor at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He holds a PhD in Judaic Studies from New York University, an MA in Judaic Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and a BA in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies and Philosophy from Brandeis University (summa cum laude).
His current book project, tentatively titled The Matthean Antitheses and Early Rabbinic Literature, offers novel interpretations of the content, form, and structure of the antitheses in the Gospel of Matthew (Matt 5:21-48) based upon traditions preserved in early rabbinic (tannaitic) sources. Tannaitic literature provides a crucial window into understanding this section of the Sermon on the Mount, compelling us to ask new questions and reassess existing assumptions. This volume asserts the value of cautious comparison of early rabbinic literature and the antitheses as an important tool for advancing our understanding of the Gospel of Matthew.
His previous monograph, The Dangerous Duty of Rebuke: Leviticus 19:17 in Early Jewish and Christian Interpretation, explores the ways in which religious leaders within early Jewish and Christian communities conceived of the obligation to rebuke their fellows based upon the biblical verse: “Rebuke your fellow but do not incur sin” (Leviticus 19:17). Analyzing texts from the Bible through the Talmud and late midrashim as well as early Christian monastic writings, he exposes a shift from asking how to rebuke in the Second Temple period, to whether one can rebuke in early rabbinic texts, to whether one should rebuke in later rabbinic and monastic sources.
