Rev. Dr. Deborah A. Appler

Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible PhD, Vanderbilt University, 2004 MDiv, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 1987 BA, Western Maryland College, 1980 Ordained in the United Methodist Church Phone: 610-861-1523 Email: applerd@moravian.edu Curriculum Vitae

Deborah is a person and mind on the move. And she doesn’t drink coffee (which is almost sacrilege at MTS!). She shares with students her particular passions in the intersection of religion, gender, and sexuality in the Hebrew Bible and how these texts and their interpretations impact faith communities in positive and negative ways. She spends time writing and working with the Society of Biblical Literature on Bible and Practical Theology, which includes intercultural and pastoral matters as well as violence against women.

Deborah’s interest in global interpretations of the Bible drove her sabbatical spent teaching at Teofilo Kisanji University in Mbeya, Tanzania, and her many trips to Israel, where she continues to participate in archaeological excavations. In fact, she often leads a summer archaeology trip to Jezreel and visits to Israel and Palestine (which is open to students).

An ordained elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, Deborah served as a pastor and worked with the United Methodist Publishing House prior to arriving at Moravian Theological Seminary.

When she is not teaching, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and taking her granddaughter to the zoo.