Noel Forlini Burt holds a PhD in Biblical Studies and Early Christianity from Drew University. She is a lecturer in the department of religion at Baylor University, where she teaches courses in biblical studies and Hebrew. Forlini Burt believes the Old Testament is a deep well from which Jewish and Christian readers can draw in their own spiritual formation. She has a particular interest in bridging the church and the academy, helping both to encounter God through the biblical story. She is currently pursuing certification in spiritual formation through the Upper Room Academy for Spiritual Formation and certification in spiritual direction through Truett Seminary. Her book, Encounters in the Dark: Identity Formation in the Jacob Story has been published through Semeia Studies (SBL Press, 2020).