Ben is a scholar of the New Testament with research interests in Paul, modern Protestant theology, the 'rise' of early Christianity, and the relationship between historical and theological interpretation.

He recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Divinity School and he has held visiting positions at Yale University and Princeton University. His research has been published or accepted in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Journal of Theological Studies, and Biblical Interpretation. 

His first book, Pain and Paradox in 2 Corinthians: The Transformative Function of Strength in Weakness (Mohr Siebeck, 2021), offers a re-interpretation of 2 Corinthians that focuses on the community’s experience of pain and the literary and theological approaches needed to appreciate Paul’s response in his strength in weakness discourses. It was honored with a review panel at the 2022 British New Testament Conference in St. Andrews, UK and is now under contract with Inter-Varsity Press Academic for a revised edition geared toward students and clergy.

Ben has also been a guest editor for the Journal of Theological Interpretation and he is editor, with John M.G. Barclay, of an essay collection entitled The New Testament in Comparison: Validity, Method, and Purpose in Comparing Traditions (T&T Clark, 2020).

In addition to his academic work, Ben has written on topics at the intersection of theology and culture for popular outlets such as The Boston Globe and Christianity Today.