Kimberly D. Russaw is a dynamic and diversely gifted woman of God who brings all of her gifts together to serve the God she loves. She is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA where she blends intellectual rigor with an infectious passion for teaching. To prepare for this ministry, she earned the Master of Divinity degree (Biblical Studies) from the Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, GA), and the Master of Arts degree (Hebrew Bible) from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN). When Russaw completed her Ph.D. in Religion at Vanderbilt University, she joined a select cadre of African American scholars who passionately teach the next generation of Christian leaders at our seminaries, colleges, and universities. Russaw is the author of Daughters in the Hebrew Bible (Fortress Academic, 2018) and Revisiting Rahab: Another Look at the Woman of Jericho (Wesley’s Foundery Books, 2021).). Dr. Russaw has written several articles and essays such as “Veils and Lapcloths: The Great Cover Up of Bynum, the Bible, and Black Churches,” “Wisdom in the Garden: The Woman of Genesis 3 and Alice Walker’s Sofia,” and “Undaunted: Reading Miriam for the Sisters They Tried to Erase”. Additionally, she has contributed to online spaces such as OnScripture, Church Anew, Huffington Post Religion, and The Christian Recorder (the official organ of the African Methodist Episcopal Church) on topics such as the Bible and popular culture.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Russaw is committed to the life of the local church and is a life-long member of Greater Institutional AME Church. There, she has been most committed to those ministries that empower women, girls, and those who love them. Russaw shares her gifts as a sought after keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and preacher.

Named one of “Six Black Women at the Center of Gravity in Theological Education” by NBCNews.com, Russaw is an ordained itinerate elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, an inductee into the prestigious Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, and holds membership in many professional organizations including the Society of Biblical Literature, the American Academy of Religion, the Society for the Study of Black Religion, and the National Black MBA Association. Russaw is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Biblical Literature, serves as a member of the Sisters Chapel Advisory Council (Spelman College), and is a dedicated member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Above all of this, God has blessed Russaw with a loving family to whom she is devoted. She is the daughter of Drs. Floyd and Ethel Russaw, the sister of Kaye and Kelly, the sister-in-love of Sean D. Shelton, and the adoring auntie of Sean William Floyd Shelton.

Note: Biographical information was updated as of the latest contribution. Author profiles may not reflect author's current employment or location.