Featured Voice: Ronald D. Witherup, PSS

Fr. Ron Witherup is a Sulpician priest, ordained for the Diocese of Erie in 1976 and who joined the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice in 1981 so that he could teach Scripture and engage in priestly formation. He began his academic career in the Old Testament with a master’s degree in 1976, but later switched to the New Testament studies, earning a doctorate in biblical studies from Union Theological Seminary (Virginia) in 1985. He went on to serve as a professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick Seminary & University in Menlo Park, California, where he also became the academic dean. In 1997, he was elected Provincial of the U.S. Province of Sulpicians, and then Superior General of the order in 2008. Despite heavy administrative duties, Ron kept his hand in biblical studies, publishing more than twenty-five books he authored or edited.

• What project, publication, or question is most animating your work right now?

Although Ron’s doctorate was in Synoptic Gospels (directed by the Matthean scholar, Jack Dean Kingsbury), he later turned to the letters of Paul and has maintained a strong interest in them ever since. His most recent book, Paul’s Pastoral Ministry in the Light of the Gospel (Liturgical Press, 2026), will appear in November. Currently, Ron is engaged in two new writing projects. One project is editing a new study Bible that will use the forthcoming translation, the Catholic American Bible (2027), and the other is focusing on a Catholic approach to Scripture, which has been a longstanding interest. Ron’s interests have always been in communicating the results of excellent scholarship to a wider public, and that remains the focus of attention in the wake of his recent retirement from active ministry.

• What has your involvement in the CBA meant for your scholarship, teaching, or professional community?

Ron first became acquainted with the CBA as a seminarian at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was introduced to professional biblical studies through its excellent academic program. His professors invited him to participate as a student in various CBA meetings, and he then joined the Association as an Associate after obtaining his first master’s degree (1975). He later joined the Society of Biblical Literature as well and participated actively in the meetings of both professional societies. Once he became reluctantly engaged in administration, however, he focused primarily on the CBA. Over the years, he actively engaged in the Association’s life by serving in multiple capacities, ultimately culminating in his serving as CBA vice president and president (2020-22). Ron has always found the CBA to be not only a professionally stimulating organization but also a tremendous resource for engaging in dialogue with other scholars in a cordial and ecumenical environment.

• What is one passion, interest, or practice outside your academic work that you would like others to know about?

In addition to his ongoing pursuit of scriptural research, Ron enjoys hiking, visiting museums, and reading mysteries, especially historical mysteries set in ancient Egypt, Rome, or Greece. His experience as superior general of the Sulpicians, in particular, also fueled an interest in international travel, since he had to visit Sulpician institutions in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. In Africa, numerous safaris reinforced his appreciation of wild animals and the many pressures that currently threaten them.