IN MEMORIAM: DANIEL PATTE

The world of Biblical Studies will always identify Daniel Patte with Structural Exegesis, Scripture Criticism, and SEMEIA. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him know that he was a brilliant scholar, a prolific author, a highly-skilled editor, and an excellent professor. And he especially loved the books of Matthew and Romans. 

But Daniel was more than a teacher, a mentor, and a friend to me (and a lot of other students at Vanderbilt and elsewhere), he was also my PhD adviser. I served as his TA (for his NT Themes classes), his RA (when he was General Editor of SEMEIA), and webmaster (for the Religious Studies Department which he chaired).

Our family spent a lot of time at Daniel and Aline's home. The first meal we ever had when we arrived in Nashville was at the Pattes. Our last meal, five years later, as well. 

The couple were "parents" to me and Grace, and "grandparents" to our sons, Lukas and Ian. Time spent with them were precious moments. Lukas's first experience with a vintage rotary dial telephone was at the Pattes. We have baby pictures of Ian being carried by "Lolo" Daniel. (Ian, a few years ago, got to read his Lolo's book on Matthew and Structural Criticism.)

Three of my best students at UTS are structural exegetes. Daniel would be proud of them. 

Daniel was one of the only two people (the other being Grace) who believed, decades ago, that "Reading the Bible inside a Jeepney" will work as a hermeneutical method. 

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Rest in peace, my dear friend. You were God's gift to so many people. Thank you for believing in me. I will see you in the morning!

#danielpatte