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Resident Faculty

Amos Yong (Ph.D., Boston University) is the director of the Ph.D. program and an associate research professor of systematic theology. His conviction that the renewal of theology cuts across the entire theological spectrum has led him to publish widely in theology of religions, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, pneumatological theology, philosophical theology, theological method, theology and science, and Pentecostal-charismatic theology. He continues to bring renewal perspectives to the areas of comparative theology, interreligious dialogue, religion and science, and disability and theology. He was voted as president-elect of the Society for Pentecostal Studies in 2006, and will serve as program chair for the annual meeting in 2008. Current Research Interests and Projects: Global Pentecostalism, Pentecostalism and science, liberation and disability theology, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and Christianity in China.

Vinson Synan (Ph.D., University of Georgia) served as dean of the School of Divinity at Regent University from 1994 to June, 2006. He has been one of the main inspiring forces behind our new Ph.D. program and is the leading historian on the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. He was general secretary of the Pentecostal Holiness Church from 1973 to 1977, assistant general superintendent from 1977 to 1981, and director of evangelism from 1981 to 1986, spending a dozen years in classical Pentecostal denominational leadership. His activity in the International Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue in 1973 (core member, 1976-81) foreshadowed his later participation in ecumenical and charismatic leadership. Since 1986, he has chaired the New Orleans Congresses on the Holy Spirit and world evangelization, which have attracted more than 40,000 Charismatics and have deepened cooperation and understanding between Pentecostals and Charismatics. His 15 published books include The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement in the United States (1971), revised as The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century (1997), as well as histories of his college (Emmanuel College [1968]) and his denomination (The Old-Time Power: A History of the Pentecostal Holiness Church [1973]). His most recent writings include Charismatic Bridges (1974), Aspects of Pentecostal Origins (1975), Azuza Street (1980), In the Latter Days (1984), The Twentieth-Century Pentecostal Explosion (1987), The Century of the Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal (2001) and Voices of Pentecost (2003). Current Research Interests and Projects: Autobiography, healing views of Dr. David Yonggi Cho.

Stanley Burgess (Ph.D., University of Missouri) is a distinguished professor of Christian history and is a leading historian of the Renewal Movement. He has published extensively on the broad field of Church History from the era of the Apostolic Fathers. Some of his major publications include The Holy Spirit: Ancient Christian Traditions (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1984), The Holy Spirit: Eastern Christian Traditions (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1989), The Holy Spirit: Medieval Roman Catholic and Reformation Traditions (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997), Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988, Co-Editor), for which he won first place, Critics Choice Award from Christianity Today, The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002, Editor), which was a 2003 finalist for the Gold Medallion Book Award of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and The Encyclopedia of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (London and New York: Routledge, 2005, Editor). Work in preparation: editor for The Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Justice (Berkshire, MA: Berkshire Publishing House). Current Research Interests and Projects: social justice, Peoples of the Spirit: a Documentary Collection (New York University Press: 2008).

Graham H. Twelftree (Ph.D., Nottingham University) is a distinguished professor of New Testament in our Ph.D. program. He received his master's degree from Oxford University and his Ph.D. under the supervision of James D.G. Dunn at Nottingham with a dissertation on Jesus, the Exorcist: A Contribution to the Study of the Historical Jesus, published by Mohr Siebeck and Hendrickson in 1993. Through his writings, such as Jesus the Miracle Worker, Dr. Twelftree has made a significant contribution to what has been called the third quest for the historical Jesus. He has written articles for the Dictionary of Jesus in the Gospels published by IVP and at present is completing a monograph on the church in Luke, People of the Spirit (London: SPCK). He also serves on the editorial board of The Journal for the Study of the Historical Jesus (Sheffield Academic Press). Current Research Interests and Projects: the historical Jesus, the miracles of Jesus, Jesus and ancient magic, exorcism among early Christians, Saint Paul and the miraculous, the ecclesiology of Luke-Acts, Jesus and the synagogue, the Sanhedrin.

Wolfgang Vondey (Ph.D., Marquette University) is assistant professor of systematic theology. He received his M.Div. from the Church of God Theological Seminary (Cleveland, TN) and M.A. from Philipps University Marburg, Germany. He taught theology at Boston College from 2003-2005.  Born and raised in Germany, he also lived in Japan for a number of years, where he studied at Keiō University, Tokyo, and later worked as Coordinator for International Relations on behalf of the Japanese government in Okinawa. He has published various articles and essays on themes relating to an understanding of the Holy Spirit and the Church. His book, Heribert Mühlen: His Theology and Praxis (University Press of America, 2004), investigates the concept of a renewal liturgy in the work of Roman Catholic theologian Heribert Mühlen. His latest book, People of Bread: A Fresh Understanding of the Church (Paulist Press, forthcoming), tells the story of God’s people based on the biblical image of bread. He is currently working on a scientific pneumatology roughly entitled, The Holy Spirit in the Physical Universe, and on an examination of global theology called Beyond Pentecostalism: The Task of Theology in the 21st Century. Current Research Interests and Projects: global theology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, ecumenical theology, renewal and liturgy, the nature and purpose of the Church, theology and science.

Estrelda Alexander (Ph.D., the Catholic University of America) is associate professor of theology. Additionally she holds a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Sociology from Columbia University and a B.A. in Sociology from Howard University. Prior to coming to Regent, she was associate dean for Community Life at Wesley Theological Seminary (where she also taught historical theology, holiness and Pentecostal movements, and Christian formation) and adjunct professor of theology at Trinity College (where she taught the African American Religious Experience). She is the author of several articles on issues of race and gender in the church, and on the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. Her first book The Women of Azusa Street (Pilgrim Press 2005) examines the lives and ministries of nineteen women who played a significant role in the revival that was one of the main starting points of the Pentecostal movement. She is currently working on a second volume: Black Fire: One Hundred Years of African American Pentecostalism for InterVarsity Press.

Archie T. Wright (Ph.D. University of Durham) is assistant professor of biblical studies. He received his Master's in Ancient Languages and Early Judaism from Oral Roberts University. His Ph.D. dissertation, titled Breaching the Cosmic Order: Reception of Genesis 6:1–4 in Enochic and Philonic Judaism, was supervised by Loren T. Stuckenbruck and Robert Hayward at Durham. The dissertation was published by Mohr Siebeck in 2005 under the title The Origin of Evil Spirits. Current projects include a volume on demonology in the Hebrew Bible, Septuagint and the New Testament. He is also working with Loren Stuckenbruck and others on a volume which will bring together all the major Ethiopic and Greek manuscripts of 1 Enoch. Dr. Wright’s primary interest is the reception of Hebrew Bible traditions in early Judaism and early Christianity. Current Research Interests and Projects: second Temple Judaism, origins of Christianity, the Dead Sea Scrolls, biblical demonology, Pseudepigrapha and the New Testament, interpreting the Hebrew Bible in early Jewish literature and the New Testament, and biblical hermeneutics.

Dale M. Coulter (DPhil, Oxford University) is associate professor of historical theology. Prior to coming to Regent he taught at Lee University and directed the graduate program in religion. His area of specialty is the High Middle Ages and he has recently published ‘Per visibilia ad invisibilia’: Theological Method in Richard of St. Victor (d. 1173) with Brepols. He also serves on the editorial board for a series of translations of thinkers related to the twelfth century Abbey of St. Victor. In addition to his work on the Abbey of St. Victor, he has published a popular book entitled, Holiness: The Beauty of Perfection and currently serves as theology interest group leader for the Society for Pentecostal Studies. Current Research Interests and Projects:  High Middle Ages, Abbey of St. Victor, early Pentecostal ecclesiology, constructive Pentecostal theology.

Adjunct Faculty

Ruth V. Burgess (Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia) is professor emeritus, College of Teacher Education, Missouri State University. She is an expert in curriculum development, mediated learning and language development. Having studied with Professor Reuven Feuerstein in Jerusalem, she has offered Instrumental Enrichment training workshops in India, Italy, Spain, Canada and the United States. Currently, she is developing a peace curriculum to be used in resolving conflicts. Her publications include Missouri-Find (1995), Propelling the change, preserving continuity: A portrait of Reuven Feuerstein (2000), Tales from beside Shivaniri (in press) and The Teacher as Decision Maker (1991). Current Research Interests and Projects: the relationship of language and cognition, applications of research to reasoned praxes, mediated learning, children of the third cultures, inclusion: a Christian imperative, ShantiStan (the land of peace): a peace building curriculum, a biography of Reuven Feuerstein (Mellen Press, to be released summer 2008), Pandita Ramabai-"Sarasvati," using narratives as conflict resolution tools.