Rosalyn Small is pictured here during a visit to Israel
Rosalyn Small finished her undergraduate degree at Lee University in Biblical and Theological Studies on May 7. One week earlier, her recently-published book, “What Are You Looking at?: A Bible Study Through the Names of the 12 Sons of Israel,” went up on Amazon.com, marking the culmination of her undergraduate studies at Lee and showing the depth of her ongoing scholarly pursuits.
“I chose Biblical and Theological studies as my field of study because I have been fascinated with the Old Testament and the language of Hebrew since the age of eight, and after taking Intro to Theology, I realized my passion for church history - what those before me have to say about the God and scriptures I love,” said Ms. Small. “Theological studies in particular offer me a challenge. It is a field where ideas are ever-pregnant, and I could still fulfill my call as a writer with Bible and Theology as my subject.”
According to Amazon, Ms. Small’s book is “an intense and in-depth devotional of the birth of the twelve sons of Israel from Reuben to Benjamin” and designed “for men, women, and children, individuals or groups, with engaging questions from both sections of the Holy Scriptures.”
Ms. Small has traveled to Israel twice with her church and the mission aid group Christian Ministry to Israel. She has been studying the Hebrew language for seven years, earning numerous awards for her studies including the Zondervan Hebrew Award (2013) and Lee’s Departmental Award for Biblical Hebrew. She has been a teaching assistant for Lee’s Dr. Brian Peterson for two years and a lab teacher for Lee’s Biblical Hebrew classes. She was also a member of Pi Alpha Sigma, the Koine Greek club in Lee’s School of Religion. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Theological Ethics from Lee University.
“Rosalyn is a rare breed of student,” said Dr. Peterson, assistant professor of Old Testament at Lee. “She is not only dependable and knowledgeable about her work in Hebrew, but she is one of those students, I have no doubt, who will surpass her professor. It has been a blessing to know her over these four years. I know she will do great things for the Kingdom.”
As if one undergraduate degree, a master’s degree in progress, and one publication wasn’t enough, Ms. Small is also working on another study through the book of Habakkuk.
“What I love about being a published author is not actually being a published author, although that is exciting,” continued Ms. Small. “Rather, what I love is the opportunity to share a two-year journey through the story of Rachel and Leah with others. I have been blessed by God through His Son in the power of His Spirit to read, study, and meditate on this story. I love the fact that God has enabled me with the skills to articulate this study in a way that can bless others in the same way that it has and continues to bless me.”
In addition to writing, Ms. Small’s other interests include art, poetry, Hebrew and tennis. She has been playing tennis since the age of seven and trained with the Chattanooga Racqueteers from Warner Park. Ms. Small turned pro last year when she started earning prize money and is ranked in the world’s top 1,500 players because of these earnings. She has placed under the International Tennis Federation and the United States Tennis Association Pro Circuit for pros starting out. Ms. Small says her goal is to become one of the world’s top 100 players and eventually coach as a mentor to aspiring low-income players. She cites Kay McDaniel, Lee assistant professor of physical education, as an inspiration for this goal.
Ms. Small’s book can be purchased on Amazon.