Dr. Lipsett is our New Testament professor and an extremely popular, knowledgeable presence in our midst. You will have her for New Testament, but you would be remiss not to have her for more! Hope you enjoy!

Diane!
1. Who are you? At Wake Forest, I’m a teacher-scholar-sharer in community. Outside of Wake, I’m a spouse-mom-friend-Sunday School teacher-Special Olympics fan who also likes to hike in the mountains, read novels and poetry, and cook big meals with family and friends.
2. How would you describe Wake Div School? Challenging and big enough to stretch you; small and encouraging enough to support you.
3. What will be your role working with first year students, second year, third year? I teach the required two-semester sequence in New Testament, which means few students can actually avoid me. I teach other electives in NT and Christian Origins and a fun (truly) intermediate Greek readings course. My research and writing these days are focused on the Gospel of Matthew and on 2nd -century Christian narratives not in the NT.
4. What was your Ph.D. thesis in? Three ancient Christian or Jewish conversion stories in which identity transformation comes about through an interplay of erotic desire and ascetic self-restraint — the Shepherd of Hermas, the Acts of Paul and Thecla, and Joseph and Aseneth.
5. What do you enjoy the most about your position at Wake, in relationship to your interactions with students? I delight in lively class discussions. I also feel very privileged to observe the ways students grow in their own gifts and graces while at the Div School.
6. What is one place that 1st years new to the Winston-Salem area HAVE to know about before coming? Assuming that others can recommend more *fun* places, let me mention Simply Yummy — good coffee and light food a quick walk from campus — a change of scene for working or talking.
7. What book would be helpful to read this summer if they had time to prepare them, just a little bit, for Divinity school? The first four short, funny, and wise chapters in Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, to help get ready for the writing life.



