Robert Hodgson, Jr., Dean, Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship

Dr. Robert Hodgson Jr. came to the American Bible Society on Jan. 1, 1991, to serve as a translator for the Contemporary English Version Bible. Over the years, Dr. Hodgson has served at the Bible Society as the senior producer of the Multimedia Translation Program; director of the Research Center for Scripture and Media; senior researcher for the Institute for Biblical Scholarship; digital media manager for the Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship; and since 2004, he has been dean of the ABS Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship.

Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the American Bible Society is a non-profit, inter-confessional organization committed to presenting the Bible in ways that people may experience life in its fullness through faith in Jesus Christ. Dr. Hodgson earned his doctorate from the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany, writing his dissertation on “Sources of the Pauline Ethic” in the New Testament. He holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Gonzaga University, in Spokane, Wash; and a master’s degree in theology from Marquette University, in Milwaukee, Wis. Dr. Hodgson has received awards from religious publishers, communications societies, national church councils and universities and at multimedia festivals; including the Special Gold Jury Award for the video The Resurrection, from the Houston International Film and Interactive Festival, and the Award of Excellence from the Associated Church Press, for Passages, a monthly column. He was a finalist in the 4th World Video, the Multimedia Forum and the New York Film Festival for the interactive CD-ROM, The Visit. Dr. Hodgson wrote a weekly column from 1992-2003 for The Mirror, a newspaper for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo. and belongs to the Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association.

He has taught German, Hebrew, Greek and given classes or workshops about the Bible in print and media, the Old and New Testaments; the History of Israel, Christianity and Judaism and translation theory and practice.

Dr. Hodgson edited From One Medium to Another, Fidelity and Translation, Similarity and Difference in Translation, and is currently writing, Elements of Media Translation: A Handbook.

He says that his most important contribution to the American Bible Society thus far has been to support the organization’s use of media and technology in communicating the message of the Holy Scriptures. Before the Gutenberg Revolution turned the Bible into a book, the Bible was communicated to most people orally or through popular mediums such as drawings in catacombs, passion plays, the visual arts, architecture and music. The Bible Society turns to a variety of learning styles and mediums to effectively communicate the content and spirit of God’s Word.

Dr. Hodgson is married to Mary Timothy Downs Hodgson, and they are the parents of three children: Mary, Robert III and Jennifer.