Kristofer Phan Coffman is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Religion and Cultures at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. He is currently finishing his dissertation which focuses on the Gospels of Matthew and Mark and the ways in which their authors use agricultural imagery to describe the coming kingdom of God and Jesus as the Messiah who ushers that kingdom in.

Kristofer brings his own experience as a first generation Cambodian-American to his readings of the biblical text in an effort to help readers reframe their reading of ancient texts as a cross-cultural interaction, hoping to build skills both for the reading of the biblical text as well as the modern task of relating to people from cultures different than their own. Upon completion of his degree, Kristofer will become, to the best of his knowledge, the first Cambodian to receive a doctoral degree in any aspect of biblical studies.

In addition to his work in the New Testament, Kristofer writes on food, farming and sustainability for the Preserve Journal, an independent print publication dedicated to the exploration of a more sustainable, resilient and responsible food culture.

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