James Barr (biblical scholar)

The Reverend
James Barr
FBA
Born(1924-03-20)20 March 1924
Glasgow, Scotland
Died14 October 2006(2006-10-14) (aged 82)
Claremont, California, US
NationalityScottish
Title
Spouse
Jane Hepburn Barr
​
(m. 1950)​
Ecclesiastical career
ChurchChurch of Scotland
Ordained1951
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
InfluencesFerdinand de Saussure
Academic work
DisciplineBiblical studies
Sub-disciplineOld Testament studies
Institutions
Doctoral studentsAthalya Brenner
Notable worksThe Semantics of Biblical Language (1961)
InfluencedMoisés Silva

James Barr FBA (20 March 1924[1] – 14 October 2006) was a Scottish Old Testament scholar, known for his critique of the notion that the vocabulary and structure of the Hebrew language may reflect a particular theological mindset.[2] At the University of Oxford, he was the Oriel Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture from 1976 to 1978, and the Regius Professor of Hebrew from 1978 to 1989.

  1. ^ "James Barr and Theological Lexicography", by Sean A. Adams, in Pillars in the History of Biblical Interpretation (Pickwick Publications, 2016) p.319 ("James Barr was born on March 20, 1924...")
  2. ^ "James Barr". The Gifford Lectures. 15 August 2014. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2018.