James R. Russell

:"For other uses, see: James Russell (disambiguation)".

James Robert Russell (born in 1953, New York City) is a scholar and professor in Ancient Near Eastern, Iranian and Armenian Studies. He has published extensively in journals, and has written several books.

He is the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, and currently sits on the executive committee of Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies [http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/people/exec_comm.html] .

Personal

Professor Russell is the son of Dr. Charlotte S. Russell, a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the City College of New York, and Joseph Russell, an attorney and arbitrator in New York. His grandfather was founder and president of Russell & Russell, publisher of out-of-print scholarly books.

Education

Dr. Russell was educated at Bronx High School of Science in New York City, Columbia University, and the University of Oxford, under the noted Armenologists Nina Garsoïan and C. J. F. Dowsett. He was the recipient of a Kellett Fellowship.

He earned his Ph.D. at The University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) under the direction of Dr. Mary Boyce. His 1982 Ph.D. thesis was on the topic of "Zoroastrianism in Armenia" and later published by Harvard University Press.

Professional

After finishing his Ph.D., he soon after taught at Columbia University, in the Department of Middle Eastern Studies. He then went on to be a Lady Davis Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Soon after he was on the short-list for the Mashtots Chair in Armenian Studies at Harvard University, for which he was chosen and has occupied the chair since 1993.

He is currently the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies in the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department at Harvard University, and also teaches a wide range of subjects, including Freshman seminars on literature and comparative religions, literature and cultures. [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510897] Dr. Russell is on the executive committees of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies [http://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/people/exec_comm.html] at Harvard University.

He has taught and lectured in Armenia, India, and Iran and at the Oriental Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Saint Petersburg State University.

Russell has been called, "A complex figure... (who) resists easy classification and is no stranger to controversy: reviled by Turks and Armenians alike." [Sanders, Gabriel, [http://www.forward.com/articles/11796/ "Reluctantly Thrust Into Spotlight, Armenia Scholar Becomes Equal Opportunity Offender"] , The Forward, October 10, 2007]

Professor Russell has been interviewed as an expert and scholar on The History Channel's documentary programs including "Angels: Good or Evil". [" [http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=73021 Angels: Good or Evil"] , The History Channel, TV documentary, originally aired May 10, 2003. imdb title|id=0407528|title=Angels: Good or Evil]

Professor Russell is one of the three faculty advisers for the conservative fortnightly The Harvard Salient.

He lectured on "Soteriology on the Silk Road" for the Buddhist Lecture Series of the University of Toronto in October 2005, and organized and chaired an international symposium in the same month to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of Saint Mesrop Mashtots, inventor of the Armenian alphabet. He has written on, translated, and analyzed the esoteric, mystical, and spiritual writings of Gregory of Narek, and has written numerous articles for the Encyclopedia Iranica. He contributed to the New Leader magazine.

Ninety one of his selected published scholarly journal articles, are gathered in his book, "Armenian and Iranian Studies".

Notes

Partial Russell Bibliography

*"Zoroastrianism in Armenia" (Harvard Iranian Series, 1987), ISBN 0-674-96850-6 [http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/RUSZOR.html]
*"Hovhannes Tlkurantsi and the Mediaeval Armenian Lyric Tradition" (University of Pennsylvania Armenian Series, 1987), ISBN 0-89130-930-6
*"The Heroes of Kasht (Kasti K'Ajer): An Armenian Epic" (Ann Arbor: Caravan, 2000), ISBN 0-88206-099-6
*"The Book of Flowers" (Belmont, MA: Armenian Heritage Press, 2003), ISBN 0-935411-17-8, [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/newletters/Newsletter_Spring_2004.htm]
*"Armenian and Iranian Studies" (selected articles, in Harvard Armenian Texts and Studies, 2004), ISBN 0-935411-19-4, [http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/RUSARM.html] , [http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0415/2004003918.html Table of Contents]
*"Bosphorus Nights: The Complete Lyric Poems of Bedros Tourian" (Harvard Armenian Texts and Studies, 2006), ISBN 0-935411-22-4, [http://www.commercemarketplace.com/home/naasr/bosphorusnights.htm] [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/newletters/spring2006.pdf]

Partial list of scholarly articles

*"Problematic Snake Children of Armenia", REArm 25, 1994-1995, pp. 77-96
*"On Mysticism and Esotericism amongst the Zoroastrians", Iranian Studies 26.1-2, 1993, pp. 73-94
*"The Mother of All Heresies: A Late Mediaeval Armenian Text on the Yushkaparik", REArm 24, 1993, pp. 273-293
*"The Armenian Shrines of the Black Youth (t'ux manuk)", Le Muséon 111.3-4, 1998, pp. 319-343
*"Polyphemos Armenios", REArm 26, 1996-1997, pp. 25-38
*"An Epic for the Borderlands: Zariadris of Sophene, Aslan the Rebel, Digenes Akrites, and the Mythologem of Alcestis in Armenia", Armenian Tsopk/Kharpert, R. Hovannisian, ed., Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda, 1998, pp. 147-183
*"Ezekiel and Iran", Irano-Judaica V, Shaul Shaked and Amnon Netzer, eds., Jerusalem: Ben-Zri Institute, 2003, pp. 1-15
*"Scythians and Avesta in an Armenian Vernacular Paternoster", Le Muséon 110.1-2, 1997, pp. 91-114.
*"The Name of Zoroaster in Armenian", Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies 2, 1985-1986, pp. 3-10
*"Zoroastrianism as the State Religion of Ancient Iran", Journal of the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute 53, Bombay, 1986, pp. 74-142
*"A Parthian Bhagavad Gîtâ and its Echoes", From Byzantium to Iran: Armenian Studies in Honour of Nina Garsoian, J.-P. Mahé, R. Thomson, eds., Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1996, pp. 17-35
*"A Manichaean Apostolic Mission to Armenia?", Proceedings of the Third European Conference of Iranian Studies, 1, N. Sims-Williams, ed., Wiesbaden: L. Reichert, 1998, pp. 21-26
*"A Scholium on Coleridge and an Armenian Demon", JSAS 10, 1998-99, 2000, pp. 63-71
*"God is Good: On Tobit and Iran", Iran and the Caucasus 5, Tehran, 2001, pp. 1-6
*"The Magi in the Derveni Papyrus", Nâme-ye Irân-e Bâstân 1.1, Tehran, 2001, pp. 49-59
*"Zoroastrianism and the Northern Qi Panels", Zoroastrian Studies Newsletter, Bombay, 1994
*"Truth Is What the Eye Can See: Armenian Manuscripts and Armenian Spirituality", Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Art, Religion, and Society, T. Mathews, R. Wieck, eds., New York: Pierpont Morgan Library, 1998, pp. 147-162
*"Sages and Scribes at the Courts of Ancient Iran", The Sage in Israel and the Ancient Near East, J. Gammie, L. Perdue, eds., Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990, pp. 141-146
*"Kartîr and Mânî: a Shamanistic Model of Their Conflict", Iranica Varia: Papers in Honor of Professor Ehsan Yarshater, Acta Iranica 30, Leiden: Brill, 1990, pp. 180-193
*"Zoroastrian Elements in the Book of Esther", Irano-Judaica II, S. Shaked, A. Netzer, eds., Jerusalem, 1990, pp. 33-40
*"A Poem of Grigor Narekac'i", REArm 19, 1985, pp. 435-439
*"On St. Grigor Narekatsi, His Sources and His Contemporaries", Armenian Review 41, 2-162, 1988, pp. 59-65
*"Two Notes on Biblical Tradition and Native Epic in the 'Book of Lamentation' of St. Grigor Narekac'i", REArm 22, 1990-1991, pp. 135-145
*"Virtue and Its Own Reward: The 38th Meditation of the Book of Lamentations of St. Grigor Narekatsi", Raft 1991, pp. 25-30
*"Armenian Spirituality: Liturgical Mysticism and Chapter 33 of the Book of Lamentation of St. Grigor Narekac'i", REArm 26, 1996-1997, pp. 427-439
*Representative articles in the Encyclopedia Iranica:
**Religion of Armenia
**BEHDEN, Zoroastrianism or its adherents
**BOZPAYIT, Body of Zoroastrian teachings in Sasanian period
**BURIAL iii., Zoroastrian burial practices
**CAMA Kharshedji Rustamji, Parsi Zoroastrian scholar and community leader, India, 19th
**CEDRENUS Georgius, Byzentine historian dealing with Zoroaster, 12th
**Christianity in pre-Islamic Persia, literary sources
**AÙAR˜EAN, Linguist, Armenian, 19th 20th
**ATRUˆAN, Fire temple, a Parthian loanword in Armenian
**ÙAÚDOR ii., Veil, among Zoroastrians and Parsis
**AÚL , Child-stealing demon
**ANUˆAWAN, Legendary king of Armenia
**ARA the Beautiful, Mythical king of Armenia
**ARLEZ, Armenian term for a supernatural creature
**ARTAXIAS I , Founder of Artaxiad dynasty in Armenia, 2nd BC
**AÛDAHAÚ iv. , Dragon in Armenia
**BAAT ii., Family head of ˆaharu@n^, Armenian dynasty, 4th
**BÈNAMAÚZÈ i., Menstruant woman, Zoroastrian concept for ritual
**BURDAR, Armenian proper name for a Persian nobleman, 4th
**CUPBEARER, Ancient Armenian function of a courtier

External links

* [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/faculty/russell.htm Professor James R. Russell's page at Harvard University]
* [http://micro5.mscc.huji.ac.il/~armenia/new_publications.htm Review of Dr. Russell's "Armenian and Iranian Studies" by Dr. Michael Stone]
* [http://www.armenianchurch.net/heritage/history/vartan/essay1.html "An Essay on the Origins of The Armenian People" by James R. Russell (1981)]
* [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511785 "O Captain! My Captain!" Prof. James Russell's article on the resignation of former President of Harvard University Larry Summers(2006)]
* [http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=510897 "The Harvard Crimson" article on Russell's "Literature Humanities" course.] January 20 2006.
* [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/14417 Letter to "The New York Review of Books"] 9 August 2001.
* [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/newletters/Newsletter_Spring_2004.htm Harvard University Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Newsletter, Spring 2004] . Special mention of Prof. Russell having published a translation and study, with the Armenian text, of "The Book of Flowers".
* [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/newletters/spring2006.pdf Harvard University Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Newsletter, Spring 2006, cf. page 4.]
* [http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~nelc/Newsletter_fall2006.pdf Harvard University Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Newsletter, Fall 2006, cf. page 6.]