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Adela Yarbro Collins

b. 1945

American biblical scholar

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About Adela Yarbro Collins

Born 1945. Adela Yarbro Collins is a biblical scholar, theologian and university teacher.

Adela Yarbro Collins (born 1945) is an American author and academic, who served as the Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. Her research focuses on the New Testament, especially the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Revelation. She has also written on the reception of the Pauline epistles, early Christian apocalypticism, and ancient eschatology.

Biography Born in 1945 as Adela Yarbro, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pomona College, and her master's and PhD degrees from Harvard University. Collins formerly held appointments at the University of Notre Dame (1985–1991) and at the University of Chicago (1991–2000). In 2010, a Festschrift was published in her honor: Women and Gender in Ancient Religions .

Career and research Collins's work has focussed on Apocalypticism, the Book of Revelation, and the Gospel of Mark. Among her many books Mark: A Commentary (Fortress 2007); Crisis and Catharsis: The Power of Apocalypse (Westminster, 1984); and The Combat Myth in the Book of Revelation (Harvard Dissertations in Religion 9; Missoula, MT: Scholars Press for the Harvard Theological Review; reprinted Wipf and Stock, 2001) stand out as major contributions to the field. Collins is considered one of the pioneers in understanding apocalyptic literature in Judaism and Christianity and her commentary on Mark has been called a "landmark in Markan scholarship."

She is noted for her mentorship of students in particular her support for women biblical scholars. Her colleague Michal Beth Dinkler said in a tribute to Collins "Adela has helped to pave the way for younger female scholars like myself in a field that continues to be dominated by men." In 2014 she was awarded honorary doctorates in theology by the University of Oslo, Norway. In 2015 she received a second honorary doctorate from the University of Zurich. In 2020 she was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Personal life Adela Yarbro is married to John Collins, the Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School. The two co-authored King and Messiah as Son of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008).

Selected works Thesis

Books

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Festschrift

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Harvard University, Pomona College
Employers
University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame

People in Adela Yarbro Collins's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Adela Yarbro Collins's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Adela Yarbro Collins?

American biblical scholar (1945-)

When was Adela Yarbro Collins born?

Adela Yarbro Collins was born on 12 June 1945.

What is Adela Yarbro Collins's occupation?

Adela Yarbro Collins is a biblical scholar, theologian and university teacher.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Adela Yarbro Collins

· Wikidata: Q4681613

· DBpedia: Adela Yarbro Collins

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Adela Yarbro Collins. https://biography.guide/adela-yarbro-collins/

MLA: "Adela Yarbro Collins." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/adela-yarbro-collins/.

Chicago: "Adela Yarbro Collins." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/adela-yarbro-collins/.

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