Dr. Tanner Walker is a scholar of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient world, specializing in the construction of identity, the boundaries between human, nonhuman, and divine, and the role of power in shaping ancient texts. His research engages critical theory, particularly the works of Derrida, Haraway, Agamben, and Foucault, to examine how biblical narratives negotiate categories of humanness, animality, and monstrosity. His forthcoming book, Constructing the Human in the Hebrew Bible (Eisenbrauns), explores how biblical texts construct multiple, often fluid, conceptions of humanity through interactions with the divine, animals, and the environment. His broader work incorporates interdisciplinary approaches to biblical studies, religion and materiality, and the reception of ancient texts in modern thought.

Walker earned his B.A. in Literature and Classics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he developed a passion for critical theory and interdisciplinary approaches to ancient texts. He went on to receive his M.A.R. from Yale Divinity School, studying under John J. Collins, where he deepened his expertise in Second Temple Judaism, biblical languages, and ideological criticism. He completed his Ph.D. in Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean at Brown University under Saul Olyan, where he refined his theoretical approach to biblical studies while mastering multiple Semitic languages, including Akkadian, Ugaritic, and Aramaic. His academic journey has been shaped by a commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional biblical scholarship, engaging with questions of power, hybridity, and interpretation. Now at Wesleyan, he brings this background into his teaching and research, challenging students to rethink the ways ancient texts construct identity, authority, and the human condition.