Peter Steiger, Ph.D.

---

Courses

• Philosophy 100 – Introduction to Philosophy
• Philosophy 380 – Selected Readings in Plato and Aristotle
• Philosophy 480 – God of Faith and Reason
• Religious Studies 205 – Christian God and Human Experience
• Religious Studies 211 – The Bible as Controversy
• Religious Studies 301 Jesus: God and Man
• Religious Studies 306 – Early Christianity
• Religious Studies 307 – Modern Christianity
• Religious Studies 380 – Angels and Demons
• Religious Studies 480 – Reading Paradise

Biography

Born and raised in central Ohio, Professor Steiger is a proud Buckeye, though he loves living in Hawaii. He has lived in Honolulu and taught full time at Chaminade since fall of 2005. When he is not on campus, he enjoys surfing waves in Waikiki, swinging in his hammock under the palm trees at the beach, riding his motorcycle around Oahu and watching the Tour de France on television. His favorite foods are jelly donuts and tofu, his favorite beverages are brown (coffee in the morning, porter in the evening), and he loves wearing jeans. He also loves touring Japan with his wife and preparing Asian cuisine. Recently he has tried to learn pottery through a class at Chaminade.

Professionally, he is interested in how Christians have incorporated philosophy into their theology and spirituality. His research has focused on the early Christian biblical scholar and theologian, Didymus the Blind. Specifically, how this renowned Christian teacher incorporated philosophical ideas from Plato and Aristotle into his commentary on the bible. He is currently completing work on translating the Commentary on the Book of Job by Didymus from ancient Greek into modern English. Upon completion of that project, he plans to translate the Commentary on the Book of Job by Olympiodorus of Alexandria, which is already underway.

Academic Degrees

Ph.D., The Catholic University of America
M.B.A., Chaminade University of Honolulu
M.A., University of Dayton
B.A., The Ohio State University

Selected Publications

• Man, Woman and Serpent as the Inner State of One Person: Anthropology Based on the Interpretation of Genesis 3 in Didymus the Blind and Augustine of Hippo. Co-authored with Dr. Makiko Sato. Publication forthcoming.
• (No) Sympathy for the Devil?: Love of Spiritual Adversaries in the Writings of Didymus the Blind. Published in Scrinium, volume 17, issue 1 (March 2021), p. 1-25, (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18177565-BJA10029).
• The Formation of the Friends of God: Abraham and Job as model teachers in the writings of Didymus the Blind. Published in Patristica: Journal of the Japanese Society for Patristic Studies, supplementary volume 7, December 2020, p. 1-30.
• The Blessings of Blindness: Divine Illumination as Spiritual Health. Published in Scrinium, volume 15, issue 1 (July 2019), p. 89-110, (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18177565-00151P07).