Nazarene Theological Seminary

DR. RON BENEFIEL
President
Degrees:
A.B., Point Loma Nazarene University
M.A., Point Loma Nazarene University
Ph.D., University of Southern California
Litt.D., Point Loma Nazarene University

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:

• The Church of the Nazarene in Missional Perspective
• The Wesleyan Theology of Mission
• History of Social Ministries in the Wesleyan Movements

A Student’s Perspective:
“Whether he is teaching in the classroom, strategizing, or dialoguing in a one-on-one conversation, it is clear that Dr. Benefiel brings a sense of holistic leadership to NTS.  He has an authentic concern for the church and hope for the Kingdom.  I am thankful to know him as president, teacher, and mentor.”



DR. DEAN BLEVINS
Professor of Christian Education; Director, Master of Arts in Christian Education Degree
Degrees:
B.A., North Carolina State University
M.R.E., Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Claremont School of Theology

Current/Recent Projects:

• “Story Telling or Storied Telling? Media's Pedagogical Ability to Shape Narrative as a Form of ‘Knowing’", Religious Education, Vol. 102 no. 3 (June 2007)
• “To Be a Means of Grace: A Wesleyan Perspective on Christian Practices and the Lives of Children”, Wesleyan Theological Journal  (Spring 2008)
• “Technology and the Transformation of Persons” (forthcoming) Christian Education Journal (Spring 2008)
• “Take Five: Jumpstarting your Child Safety Program”, Children’s Teacher, Vol. 14. no.1 (Fall 2006)
• “How Big a Mouse Ear? Retaining a Balanced, ‘Family-Like,’ Children’s Ministry” Children’s Ministries Connection, Church of the Nazarene, Winter 2007 (available on-line Jan. 2, 2008)

Associations/Councils:
Currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Religious Education Association, the oldest professional organization in Religious Education. 

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Blevins has the head of an educator and the heart of a pastor.  He pushes his students ahead while walking alongside them, modeling to them that Christian Education involves head, heart and hands.  His encouragement and deep interest in the lives of his students propels him beyond merely a professor to a dear friend.”


 
PROFESSOR DEBRA L. BRADSHAW
Director of Library Service; Assistant Professor in Theological Bibliography
Degrees:
B.A., MidAmerica Nazarene University
M.L.S., Emporia State University
M.A., Nazarene Theological Seminary

A Student’s Perspective:
“My time working in the library has given me great admiration for Professor Bradshaw. As are other NTS professors, she is not only concerned with how we grow scholastically; she is also concerned with how we grow spiritually. As Director of the Library, Professor Bradshaw is concerned with giving the students of NTS the best resources for their learning experience.  She is also one of the best persons to work for.”


 
DR. D. MARTIN BUTLER
Dean for Administration and Student Services
Degrees:
B.A., Southern Nazarene University
M.A., Southern Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
D.Min., Nazarene Theological Seminary
M. PA., University of Missouri
Ph.D., University of Missouri

Current/Recent Projects:

• Served on a panel assembled by the Association of Theological Schools focusing on what Seminaries are and are not teaching about church and personal finance (dialogue there suggested that NTS is doing more than most in providing courses related to church and personal finance).
• Adjunctive professor for the Online Program at Nazarene Bible College

Associations/Councils:

• Part of an accrediting team site visit for a Seminary accredited by the Association of Theological Schools, 2008

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:  Church Budgeting, Pastoral Leadership Training; Care of the Minister and the Minister’s Family

A Student’s Perspective:
“It’s not often you can find a person who can effectively combine a deep passion and concern for students with the resolute commitment of a gifted administrator like Dr. Butler.  As a teacher, Dr. Butler brings a wealth of experience to the classroom, along with his persistent humor.  While his classes contain significant amounts of valuable wisdom for ministry, I have personally learned the most from him through daily informal interaction – observing the ways in which he draws together the traits of a capable teacher and leader with those of a lover of Christ and His Church.”



DR. JOSEPH COLESON
Professor Old Testament
Degrees:
B.A., Indiana Wesleyan University
M.S., Brandeis University
Ph.D., Brandeis University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Contributed two chapters as a member of The Miriam Project to Faith and Gender Equity (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2007); chapters are titled:  “Gender Equality: God’s Creation Mandate” and “God’s Name, God’s Character.”
• Edited the third volume in the Wesleyan Theological Perspectives Series (Wesleyan Publishing House, forthcoming), and wrote a chapter on “Holiness as expressed in the Old Testament.”Associations/Councils
• Speaker/resource person for Telos, an annual retreat of the New York/New Jersey region Graduate and Faculty Ministries of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, February 29-March 2, for a study centered in Ecclesiastes.

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:  Creation; Gender Equality; Biblical Prophecy

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Coleson remains a student, curious about ideas and enthusiastic about the difference they make in the lives of communities and the individuals within them.  In every class I’ve taken with him, he has invited me to come alongside as we endeavor to uncover new thoughts and perspectives.  I am indebted to him and to his example for one of the more important lessons I have learned during my time at NTS:  Academic study should not serve to empower the learned, but to enrich others.”




DR. VICKI COPP
Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology; Director of Supervised Ministries
Degrees:
B.A., Point Loma Nazarene University
M.A., Point Loma Nazarene University
D.Min., Nazarene Theological Seminary

Current/Recent Projects:

• Writing article for Christian Education Journal (forthcoming)
• Writing book on “Leading as Couples” (Beacon Hill Press, forthcoming)

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:  Interim preaching, Pastoral Team Retreats, Book of Ruth Studies

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Copp is the type of person I can call on as a teacher, friend, or colleague.  She has worked extremely hard in the area of developing the guidelines for the Supervised Ministry Experience (SME) at NTS.  I feel that the SME is one of the most important things at NTS, as it gives a practical voice to all of one's theological studies.  I appreciate Dr. Copp’s diligence in the implementation of these guidelines as well as how she oversees each student's experience.”



 
DR. ROGER HAHN
Dean of the Faculty; Professor of New Testament; Willard H. Taylor Chair of Biblical Theology
Degrees:
A.B., Bethany Nazarene College
M.A., Bethany Nazarene College
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Duke University
 
Current/Recent Projects:

• Matthew:  A Commentary for Bible Students (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007)
• Writing a commentary on Matthew for the New Beacon Bible Commentary

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:  Studies on various books of the Bible; Theology of and Resources for Worship; Development of the Canon

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Hahn is a genuine scholar with the heart of a pastor.  In his areas of interest and expertise, he hasn't met a book he didn't buy and read, and then add to his vast library.  He brings so much to the classroom and shares not only his wealth of knowledge but his passion for God and for the Word of God.  He cares deeply for his students as well.  It has been my privilege and my great benefit to sit under his instruction.”


 
DR. DOUGLAS HARDY
Professor of Spiritual Formation; Director, Doctor of Ministry Degree
Degrees:
B.A., Eastern Nazarene College
M.Ed., Northeastern University
M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Boston University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Writing book on Christian Spiritual Formation from a Holiness Perspective (Beacon Hill Press, forthcoming)
• Articles on “Self-Will” and “Justification” for the Wesley Study Bible (Abingdon Press, forthcoming)
• Article on Thomas Merton for the New Dictionary of Theology (Inter-Varsity Press, forthcoming)

Preaching/Teaching Expertise: Spiritual Life Retreats; Workshops/Seminars on Spiritual Practices

A Student’s Perspective:
“As I reflect on my time at NTS I can point to a few classes which have been especially formative in deepening my faith in Christ and also developing my pastoral identity.  Dr. Hardy's spiritual formation courses have profoundly impacted my understanding of Church practices throughout history, such as Scripture reading, prayer and fasting, and receiving the Lord's Supper.  I am grateful for the ways he has taught us to serve and be accountable to each other and the body of Christ.”


 
DR. ANDY JOHNSON
Professor of New Testament
Degrees:
B.S., Trevecca Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Luther Seminary

Current/Recent Projects:

• Co-Editor of Holiness and Ecclesiology in the New Testament (Eerdmans, 2007)
• 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Two Horizons Commentary series (Eerdmans, forthcoming)
• Associate Editor, New Testament, Wesley Study Bible (Abingdon Press, forthcoming)
• “The ‘New Creation,’ the Crucified and Risen Christ, and the Temple: A Pauline Audience for Mark,” (Journal of Theological Interpretation 1, 2007)
• “Holy, Holiness, NT” in New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible (Abingdon)
• Major Book Review of Angus Paddison’s, Theological Hermeneutics and 1 Thessalonians, Interpretation (2007).
• “Keeping Order in Public Worship—Commentary,” online at the Wynkoop Center for Women in Ministry

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Johnson strengthened my passion and excitement for studying the Bible.  I greatly appreciate his ability to educate students concerning the latest in New Testament research while also pushing them to consider the implications for the local church.  Even his insistence on translating Paul’s letters with a southern ‘y’all’ will always help me to remember the necessity of living out our faith in community.  Dr. Johnson is a great professor, friend, and fellow parishioner.”


 
DR. STEVE MCCORMICK
Professor of Historical Theology; William M. Greathouse Chair of Wesleyan-Holiness Theology
Degrees:
B.A., Southern Nazarene University
M.A., Southern Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
M. Phil., Drew University
Ph.D., Drew University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Writing book with a working title of Discovering the Silent Orthodoxies of the Church 
• “What does it mean to be Human?” Title of paper to be presented at Wesleyan Theological Society Annual Meeting (March, 2008), in response to the paper of Dr. Harold Koenig (Duke University Medical Center) titled ‘Religion, Spirituality and Health: Are they Connected?’
• Presented at the 12th Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies, “The “Silent Orthodoxies’ of God’s Mission: Rethinking Wesley’s ‘Means of Grace’ as the ‘Marked-Practices’ of the Missio Dei’”
• Invited by WTS and the Templeton Foundation to read a written theological response to Dr. Harold Koenig from the Duke University Medical Center.  Dr. Koenig’s paper is: ‘Religion, Spirituality and Health: Are they Connected?’  The title of my response: “What does it mean to be Human?” (March, 2008)
• Presented ‘The Church after the Likeness of the Holy Trinity is the Church after the Missio Dei,’ at the  Global Theology Conference II in the Netherlands (March,  2007)
• Rethinking John Wesley’s ‘Marked-Practices’ of the Church: Connecting the ‘Means’ of Salvation to the ‘End’ of Salvation, A Theology of Renewal,  Symposium on Wesleyan Theology Center of Evangelical and Reformation Theology (CERT) Kerk van de Nazarener Nederland ( April 5, 2007)
• Wrote a brief Theological Biography on ‘Catherine Mowry LaCugna’ for New Dictionary of Theology (February 2008)
• Book review of Kenneth Collins book, “The Theology of John Wesley: Holy Love and the Shape of Grace,” for Methodist History (February, 2008)
• 6 Theology Terms: Image of God, Conscience, Total Depravity, Moral Image, Political Image, Natural Image for Abingdon’s Wesley Study Bible (Fall, 2007)
• “John & Charles Wesley and the People Called Methodists,” for Encyclopedia of History (2007)

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. McCormick is a gift to our seminary community.  His unique ability to narrate the story of God as it has developed historically in the Church is contagious.  He is a breath of fresh air, delicately unpacking the grammar of faith and enlivening theological discussion that directly relates to Christian witness.  I have been consistently grateful for his mentorship and counsel.”


 
DR. THOMAS NOBLE
Professor of Theology
Degrees:
M.A., University of Glasglow
B.D., University of Edinburgh
Ph.D., University of Edinburgh

Current/Recent Projects:

• Currently commissioned by the Church of the Nazarene to write a Systematic Theology
• Tyndale House Fellowship. The First Sixty Years  (Inter-Varsity Press, 2006)
• Called to be Saints: A Centenary History of the Church of the Nazarene in the British Isles, 1906-2006 (Didsbury Press, 2006)

A Student’s Perspective:
“The NTS community has been gifted with an exuberant theologian in Professor Thomas A. Noble. Dr. Noble is intellectually erudite, and he passionately shares his vast theological wisdom with his students in a manner that draws the newcomer to theology into the mysterious depths of the Triune God. Any student who has had him is familiar with the energy he exudes in his lectures, and those of us who have been fortunate to have him as a thesis director can testify to the care he has poured into our research and our lives. Those who will fill his classrooms in the future will also be thankful for their encounter with this life-changing teacher. “



DR. LYLE POINTER
Professor of Evangelism
Degrees:
B.A., Northwest Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
M.R.E., Nazarene Theological Seminary
D.Min., Fuller Theological Seminary

Current/Recent Projects:

• Writing a textbook on evangelism
• Pastoring a local congregation
• Developing a new course entitled, “Starting Spiritual Conversations”

Associations/Councils

• Serve as a denominational representative to the World Methodist Council
• On the teaching faculty of The Order of the Flame, World Methodist evangelism training

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Pointer has a deep passion for the lost, and his disciplined methods of winning souls for the Kingdom of God strongly demonstrate the interdependence between our theology and how we live our lives.  His classes reflect this passion.  Because he has challenged me to have a ministry that bears fruit, I am empowered to live out God’s call on my life.  He has shown me that theology is so much more than just an art form.”


 
DR. HAROLD RASER
Professor of the History of Christianity; Director, Master of Arts (Theological Studies) Degree
Degrees:
A.B., Pasadena College
M.A., Pasadena College
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Penn State University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Co-author of a book on the Centennial  History of the Church of the Nazarene (Beacon Hill Press, forthcoming)
• Working on updating and expanding a classic historic text on women in ministry: Women Preachers, by Fannie McDowell Hunter (Berachah Printing Co, 1905)
• "Phineas Franklin Bresee: Recovering the Spirit of Original Methodism”; chapter contributed to a forthcoming book on the historical development of the Wesleyan and Pentecostal traditions in the U.S.
• Wrote 3 articles for the new edition of the New Dictionary of Theology (InterVarsity Press, forthcoming)

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Raser's knowledge and ability to communicate brings the rich history of God's people alive. He challenges his students to understand the relevance of where we have been as a Church to where we are going. As we learn together we are better equipped to minister in the world, and to effectively lead and grow disciples for Jesus Christ in the context of all the saints.”


 
DR. JUDITH SCHWANZ
Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling
Degrees:
B.A., Northwestern University
M.A., Western Evangelical Seminary
M.S., Portland State University
Ph.D., Portland State University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Blessed Connections: Relationships that Sustain Vital Ministry (Alban Institute,2008)
• “Says Who?”, Holiness Today (September/October, 2007)
• Involved with the Sabbaths of Hope project to train pastors in recognizing and ministering to people with depression

Associations/Councils:
Involved with the denominational Women Clergy Committee sponsored by Clergy Development and leaded a workshop on Blessed Connections at Come to the Water (April, 2008)

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Schwanz’s passion and commitment to excellence in pastoral care and counseling stems from a heart longing to see broken people made whole by God through the Church.  Congregations are blessed every week because of the investment she makes in students at NTS.  It is a privilege to have the opportunity to sit under her teaching and guidance as God is forming me in my pastoral identity."


 
DR. BILL SELVIDGE
Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies; Director, Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies Degree
Degrees:
B.A., Olivet Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
D.Miss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Current/Recent Projects:

• Taught Creative Leadership Institute in the Horn of Africa
• Taught World Religions at European Nazarene College
• Teaching on Eurasia Region in Moscow and Kazakhstan
• In August 2008, will teach in the Regional Missionary Pre-Field Training Program in Guatemala City

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Selvidge is sincerely interested in the development of each of his students as both missionaries and Christians.  His insights into the world of missions are invaluable, as is the time he gives his students to work out their questions.  He takes education to a level beyond the textbook and theory, allowing us to draw from his experiences as well as those of other career missionaries.  His heart for missions reaches to each and every one of his students—no matter their calling.”


 
DR. HENRY SPAULDING
Professor of Philosophical Theology and Christian Ethics; Director, Master of Divinity Degree
Degrees:
B.A., Trevecca Nazarene College
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
Ph.D., Florida State University

Current/Recent Projects:

• Working on a manuscript that will explore the intersections between Radical Orthodoxy and Wesleyan Theology
• Interim preaching at Topeka (KS) Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene
• Led a “Forgiveness Seminar” at Milwaukee First Church of the Nazarene
• Responder at WTS (March, 2008)

A Student’s Perspective:
“Dr. Spaulding is a professor who cares enough to ask the difficult questions.  Whether tackling a complex philosophical idea or talking you through a pastoral theology question, it's obvious that Dr. Spaulding's years of experience and dedication to God and His church are calling forth your best efforts.  We are grateful to have Dr. Spaulding at NTS!” 



DR. DAVID WESLEY
Assistant Professor of Intercultural Studies
Degrees:
B.S., Southern Nazarene University
M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
D.Min., Nazarene Theological Seminary

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:

• Mission Strategy
• Missions Emphasis Services and Retreats
• Missions-Related Workshops

A Student’s Perspective:
“With his vast amount of expertise on the mission field and in the Church, Dr. Wesley has helped me and many other students grapple with the changing face of missions. In his teaching, he seeks to help his students understand the importance of being a missional church. Dr. Wesley also invests himself in the lives of students – as he is willing to open his door, share a meal, and listen.”



PROFESSOR DON WHITLOCK
Associate Professor of Christian Education
Degrees:
B.Ed., University of Alberta
M.R.E., Nazarene Theological Seminary
M.A., University of Missouri at Kansas City
Ed.S., University of Missouri at Kansas City

Preaching/Teaching Areas of Expertise:

• “Why can’t we just get along? A look at the interacting of formative processes as we worship, live, work and play together.”
• “Which gate do you like to use?  A study of the preferred learning styles of persons in education settings.”
• “60, 70, 80, and rolling!  An intensive look at the world of education, travel, recreation, spiritual enrichment for those over 50.”

A Student’s Perspective:
“Professor Whitlock is passionate about Christian Education and strives to share that passion with his students. His true-to-life ministry examples help his students better grasp the ins and outs of associate ministry, addressing carefully the difficulties of ministry. In doing this, he helps his students enter into the ministry confidently, yet humbly, with an array of resources. He strives to help students grow, in both their Christian walk as well as their ministry experience.”