# Brant Pitre

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New Testament scholar

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Brant J. Pitre Born 1975 (age 50–51) New Orleans, Louisiana, US Academic background Education Louisiana State University (B.A.) Tel Aviv University (G.C.) Vanderbilt University Divinity School (M.T.S.) University of Notre Dame (Ph.D) Academic work Discipline Theology Sub-discipline New Testament Early Christianity Historical Jesus Institutions Augustine Institute Notre Dame Seminary Our Lady of Holy Cross College University of Notre Dame Loyola University New Orleans

**Brant James Pitre** (born 1975) is an American [New Testament](/source/New_Testament) scholar and Distinguished Research Professor of Scripture at the [Augustine Institute](/source/Augustine_Institute). He has written extensively on the [historical Jesus](/source/Historical_Jesus), [the Virgin Mary](/source/Mary%2C_mother_of_Jesus), [Paul the Apostle](/source/Paul_the_Apostle), the [origin of the Eucharist](/source/Origin_of_the_Eucharist), and the [canonical Gospels](/source/Canonical_gospels).

## Education

After receiving his [B.A.](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) in [Philosophy](/source/Philosophy) and [English Literature](/source/English_literature) from [Louisiana State University](/source/Louisiana_State_University) in 1997, Pitre engaged in biblical studies: he received a [G.C.](/source/Graduate_certificate) in [biblical archaeology](/source/Biblical_archaeology) in 1998 from [Tel Aviv University](/source/Tel_Aviv_University), a [M.T.S.](/source/Master_of_Theological_Studies) from [Vanderbilt University Divinity School](/source/Vanderbilt_University_Divinity_School) in 1999 and, eventually, his [Ph.D.](/source/Doctor_of_Philosophy) from the [University of Notre Dame](/source/University_of_Notre_Dame).[1] While at Vanderbilt, Pitre studied under Professor [Amy-Jill Levine](/source/Amy-Jill_Levine), while at Notre Dame he met and studied under Father [John P. Meier](/source/John_P._Meier).[2][3]

## Career

He was assistant professor of theology at [Loyola University New Orleans](/source/Loyola_University_New_Orleans) from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 to 2009, he was adjunct professor of Scripture at [Notre Dame Seminary](/source/Notre_Dame_Seminary), Visiting professor of theology at the [University of Notre Dame](/source/University_of_Notre_Dame) and Donum Dei Professor of Word and Sacrament and assistant professor of theology at [Our Lady of Holy Cross College](/source/Our_Lady_of_Holy_Cross_College). From 2009 to 2018 he served as Professor of Sacred Scripture at [Notre Dame Seminary](/source/Notre_Dame_Seminary), before moving to his current position at the Augustine Institute. He is a member of the [Society of Biblical Literature](/source/Society_of_Biblical_Literature), and the [Catholic Biblical Association](/source/Catholic_Biblical_Association).[1]

In his works, Pitre has consistently defended the Catholic dogma of [transubstantiation](/source/Transubstantiation), the [perpetual virginity of Mary](/source/Perpetual_virginity_of_Mary), [the divinity of Jesus](/source/Divinity_of_Jesus), and traditional [authorship of the Gospels](/source/Authorship_of_the_Gospels). His books have been praised by Bishop [Robert Barron](/source/Robert_Barron) and several Roman Catholic leaders.[4] He was also a contributor to the *Dictionary of Jesus And the Gospels*, where he wrote articles about [Jewish eschatology](/source/Jewish_eschatology) in regard to Jesus.[5]

## Reception

Brant Pitre's work has been praised by various scholars, including [Dale Allison](/source/Dale_Allison), Chris Tilling, Tucker Ferda, and Christine Jacobi.[6] Matthew Levering described Pitre as "the preeminent Catholic historical-Jesus scholar alive today—and indeed as one of the most important Christian thinkers of the twenty-first century."[7]

K. J. Drake describes *Jesus and Divine Christology* as a ‘lucid, well-researched, and tightly argued monograph’ that effectively demonstrates clear evidence of the authenticity of Jesus’s self-perception as divine. Drake writes that the rejection or neglect of Jesus’s claims to divinity in historical Jesus studies stands increasingly incongruously with the growing consensus that the earliest Christology portrayed Jesus as a divine being.[8]

[Duke’s](/source/Duke_University) Jimmy Myers finds Pitre’s case for Jesus’s self-presentation as a divine messiah to be compelling and Pitre’s knowledge of Second Temple Judaism obvious, despite some difficult interpretations.[9]

Kristin Cox wrote about the same book "Pitre offers a convincing counterpoint to the prevailing opinions in contemporary scholarship."[10]

Heejun Yang notes that Pitre's book is acting against the prevailing consensus.[11]

Kamy Hanna expressed the same idea.[12]

*[Crisis Magazine](/source/Crisis_Magazine)* wrote "While most contemporary scholars believe Jesus *did not* claim divinity, most scholars *do* agree there was a High Christology in the early Church."[13]

*The Imaginative Conservative* says that Pitre's book *The Case for Jesus* is a work of [apologetics](/source/Apologetics).[14]

## Personal life

Pitre is a [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church_in_the_United_States) and currently lives in Louisiana with his wife Elizabeth and their five children.[15]

## Bibliography

- *Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile*, [Mohr Siebeck](/source/Mohr_Siebeck), 2005, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1628/978-3-16-157488-7](https://doi.org/10.1628%2F978-3-16-157488-7), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-16-157488-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-16-157488-7).

- Pitre, Brant (February 2, 2016). *Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper*. Image. p. 256. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0385531863](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0385531863).

- *Jesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told*, [Crown Publishing](/source/Crown_Publishing_Group), 2014, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780770435455](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780770435455).

- *Jesus and the Last Supper*, [Eerdmans](/source/William_B._Eerdmans_Publishing_Company), 2015, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780802875334](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780802875334).

- *The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ*, Crown Publishing, 2016, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780770435486](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780770435486).

- *A Catholic Introduction to the Bible: The Old Testament*, [Ignatius Press](/source/Ignatius_Press), 2018.

- Pitre, Brant (January 2018). *Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah*. Image. p. 228. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780525616351](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780525616351).

- *Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology*, co-authored with Michael P. Barber and John A. Kincaid, Eerdmans, 2019, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780802873767](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780802873767).

- *Introduction to the Spiritual Life: Walking the Path of Prayer with Jesus*, Crown Publishing, 2021, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780525572763](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780525572763).

- *Jesus and Divine Christology*, Eerdmans, 2024, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780802875129](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780802875129).

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) ["CV"](https://www.brantpitre.com/curriculum-vitae). *Brant Pitre*. Retrieved 2021-12-03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Pitre, Brant (2016-02-02). [*The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ*](https://books.google.com/books?id=i9LvCAAAQBAJ). Crown Publishing Group. p. 3. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7704-3549-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7704-3549-3).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Pitre, Brant (2015). [*Jesus and the Last Supper*](https://books.google.com/books?id=b4-gCgAAQBAJ&q=meier). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. X. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8028-4871-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8028-4871-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The Case for Jesus: Interview with Dr. Brant Pitre"](https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/the-case-for-jesus-interview-with-dr-brant-pitre/18694/). *[Word on Fire](/source/Word_on_Fire)*. 2017-03-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Green, Joel B.; Brown, Jeannine K.; Perrin, Nicholas (2013). [*Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (2nd edn): A Compendium Of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3mfnDwAAQBAJ&q=Dictionary+of+Jesus+And+the+Gospels). [Inter-Varsity Press](/source/Inter-Varsity_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-78974-026-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-78974-026-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Pitre, Brant (2024). *Jesus and Divine Christology*. Eerdmans. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780802875129](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780802875129).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEPitre2024_7-0)** [Pitre 2024](#CITEREFPitre2024).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Drake, K. J. "Book Review Jesus and Divine Christology". *The Journal of Theological Studies*. **0**. Oxford University Press: 1–2.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Myers, Jimmy. "Jesus and Divine Christology". *Religious Studies Review*. **51** (1): 173–4. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/rsr.17593](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Frsr.17593).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Cox, Kristin (April 2025). "Jesus and Divine Christology". *Catholic Library World*. **95** (3): 164. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0008-820X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0008-820X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-o652_11-0)** Pitre, Brant (21 March 2022). ["Jesus and Divine Christology"](https://readingreligion.org/9780802875129/jesus-and-divine-christology/). *Reading Religion*. Retrieved 13 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Hanna, Kamy (31 December 2024). ["Brant Pitre. Jesus and Divine Christology"](https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/biblical-research/article/34/4/546/400351/Brant-Pitre-Jesus-and-Divine-Christology). *Bulletin for Biblical Research*. **34** (4): 546–548. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.5325/bullbiblrese.34.4.0546](https://doi.org/10.5325%2Fbullbiblrese.34.4.0546). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2576-0998](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2576-0998).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-r167_13-0)** Leonard, Hunter (19 December 2024). ["The Academic Case for the Divinity of Christ"](https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/the-academic-case-for-the-divinity-of-christ). *Crisis Magazine*. Retrieved 14 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-u746_14-0)** Deavel, David (6 December 2022). ["Against the "Jesus" of the Journalists"](https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2022/12/case-for-jesus-brant-pitre-david-deavel.html). *The Imaginative Conservative*. Retrieved 7 July 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Bio | CV"](https://www.brantpitre.com/biography-cv). *Brant Pitre*. Retrieved 2021-12-03.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Brant Pitre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brant_Pitre) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brant_Pitre?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.