Timothy C. Tennent (born September 24, 1959) is an American
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...
who is the current president of
Asbury Theological Seminary.
Education
Tennent's education includes a B.A. from
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, evangelist Oral Roberts.
Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree progra ...
, an M.Div. from
Gordon Conwell (1984), a Th.M. from
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly o ...
(1991), and a Ph.D. from the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
's
Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World (1998), where his dissertation was on
Indian theologian Brahmabandhab Upadhyay
Brahmabandhav Upadhyay (born ''Bhavani Charan Bandyopadhyay'') ( bn, ব্রহ্মবান্ধব উপাধ্যায়; 11 February 1861 – 27 October 1907) was an Indian Bengali theologian, journalist and freedom fighter. H ...
.
Tennent studied under Professor John Brockington, Dr James Cox, and Professor
Andrew Walls, and his research focused on the rapidly growing churches outside the West. His Ph.D. dissertation was revised and published in 2000 under the title ''Building Christianity on Indian Foundations''.
Tennent is also one of four graduates of a three-year mentoring in academic leadership program funded through a
Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...
grant.
Career
Tennent is an ordained elder (minister) in the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...
in the Kentucky Annual Conference.
He is also a direct descendant of
William Tennent
William Tennent (1673 – May 6, 1746) was an early Scottish American Presbyterian minister and educator in British North America.
Early life
Tennent was born in Mid Calder, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, in 1673. He graduated from the Univ ...
, the founder of
Log College
The Log College, founded in 1727, was the first theological seminary serving Presbyterians in North America, and was located in what is now Warminster, Pennsylvania. It was founded by William Tennent and operated from 1727 until Tennent's death in ...
, which was the precursor to
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the n ...
.
Tennent began his teaching career at
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College is a private Christian college in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. The campus occupies , bordering the Chattahoochee National Forest and is home to Toccoa Falls, a high waterfall. It is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary ...
, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1995. From 1998–2009, he served as professor of world missions and Indian studies at
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in
South Hamilton,
.
He was elected to his current post as president of Asbury Seminary on February 17, 2009, and his tenure began on July 1, 2009. Tennent succeeded
Ellsworth Kalas
J. Ellsworth Kalas (February 14, 1923 – November 12, 2015) was a president and a professor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also served as pastor for 38 years in the Wisconsin and Ohio Conferences of the United Methodist ...
as president of Asbury. He continues to serve as a visiting professor at the
Luther W. New Jr. Theological College
Luther W. New Jr. Theological College, known as NTC, is a private, accredited Christian seminary in Dehra Dun, India. It was founded in 1987 by George Kuruvila Chavanikamannil. of
Dehradun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
where he has taught each summer since 1988.
In November 2009, Tennent signed an ecumenical statement known as the ''
Manhattan Declaration'' calling on evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences.
Theology
Tennent has a
Wesleyan-Arminian theology.
Published works
Books
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Articles & chapters
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennent, Timothy
1959 births
American theologians
American United Methodist clergy
Arminian ministers
Arminian theologians
Asbury Theological Seminary faculty
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary alumni
Living people
Oral Roberts University alumni
People from Atlanta
Princeton University alumni
Seminary presidents
World Christianity scholars
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity