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E. P. Sanders

After receiving two baccalaureates in his native Texas, E. P. Sanders pursued graduate studies in Gottingen, Jerusalem, Oxford and New York, culminating in a Th.D. from Union Theological Seminary. He joined the Faculty at McMaster University, Ontario, in 1966. In 1984 he was elected Dean Ireland's Professor of Exegesis in the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Queen's College. He moved to Duke University, North Carolina, as Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion in 1990. He has held visiting professorships and lectureships at Trinity College, Dublin, and Cambridge University.

His field of special interest is Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman world. Paul and Palestinian Judaism (1977) won national book awards and Jesus and Judaism won the Grawemeyer Award in Religion and was chosen as one of the most significant works of religious history in the 1980s by the Sunday Correspondent. Other publications include The Tendencies of the Synoptic Tradition (1969), Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People (1983), Studying the Synoptic Gospels (with Margaret Davies, 1989), Jewish Law from Jesus to the Mishnah (1990), Paul: Past Master (1991) and Judaism: Practice and Belief 63 BCE–66 CE (1992).

In recent years E.P. Sanders has received further degrees: Doctor of Letters from the University of Oxford and Doctor of Theology (honoris causa) from the University of Helsinki. He is a fellow of the British Academy.

The Historical Figure of Jesus

Books

The Historical Figure of Jesus

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

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Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

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