Presentations:
“Pure Heart Vision: A New Mission for Disciples of Jesus: Insights from John 13–17,” Harding University Lectureship—Fall 2016
Panelist for Michael Sandel’s What Money Can’t Buy, Christian Scholars Conference (Lipscomb University)—June 2015
“Modifying Mark’s Passion: Luke’s Use of Rhetoric to Amplify the Guilt of the Jewish Leaders,” National Society of Biblical Literature Meeting (San Francisco)—November 2011
“The Samuel Childhood Cycle in Luke 1-2,” Christian Scholars Conference (Pepperdine University)—June 2011
Teaching:
BNEW 5200 Survey of the New Testament
BNEW 5201 Advanced Introduction to the New Testament
BNEW 5233 Gospel of Luke
BNEW 5321 Advanced New Testament Exegesis
BNEW 5320 Readings in the Greek New Testament
Research Interests:
The New Testament Use of the Old Testament
The Synoptic Problem
Economics and Christian Ethics
Ministry Involvement:
Bible Class Teacher and Fill-in Preacher, Cloverdale Church of Christ, Searcy, AR (2014–present)
Foster Parent, Searcy Children’s Homes/Sparrow’s Promise, Searcy, AR (full-care, assisting: 2014–2017, 2022–present)
Steve Cloer, assistant professor of ministry, teaches courses in congregational ministry, mission, and leadership. He also directs the Doctor of Ministry program. His research and writing interests include missional theology, church leadership, ministry in urban contexts, and racial reconciliation. Steve has served in youth ministry, campus ministry, and preaching ministry. Most recently, Steve was the preacher for Southside Church of Christ in Fort Worth, TX for 15 years. This historic congregation was located two miles south of downtown. For most of his time there, Steve and his family lived in an urban neighborhood near the Southside church building. Steve and his wife, Lindsay, have three children, Joshua, Lydia, and Bethany. Steve enjoys sports, outdoor adventures, spending time with family, and cheering for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Presentations:
“Becoming a Church that Engages Neighborhoods and Cities,” Telling the Story Conference, Prestoncrest Church of Christ, keynote speaker, 2025.
“A Heart for the City,” National Urban Ministry Conference, keynote speaker, 2025.
“Leading Churches in Mission,” five presentations, Midwest Preachers Retreat, Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp, keynote speaker, 2024.
“Reaching the ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’,” Telling the Story Conference, Prestoncrest Church of Christ, keynote speaker, 2024.
“A Vision Beyond our Time (Heb. 11:13-16),” National Urban Ministry Conference, keynote speaker, 2024.
“Inspired by the Cross (Col. 2:13-15)” and “Colossians and Culture: The ‘Spiritual, but Not Religious,’” Harding University Lectures, keynote speaker and class teacher, 2023.
“God-Centered Leadership” and “From Decisions to Discernment,” New Day Conference, North Blvd. Church of Christ, class teacher, 2023.
“I Know My Redeemer Lives (Job 19:23-25),” Crowley’s Ridge College Lectures, keynote speaker, 2023.
“God’s Vision for the City (Isa. 61:1-8),” National Urban Ministry Conference, keynote speaker, 2023.
“Reaching the ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’,” Telling the Story Conference, Prestoncrest Church of Christ, class presenter, 2023.
“Kingdom Leadership (2 sessions),” Kerygma Preaching Conference, Oklahoma Christian, keynote presenter, 2022.
“Helping Your Church Stay on Mission,” Harding University Lectures, class teacher, 2022.
“In our Midst: Four Gifts for a Fearful Church,” National Urban Ministry Conference, keynote speaker, 2021.
“Faithful Love: Lessons from Song of Solomon,” Marriage Enrichment Seminar, Waterview Church of Christ, 2020.
“Preaching Acts: The Word Which Cannot Be Stopped,” Harding University Lectures, Neller Lectures presenter, 2019.
“Church in the City (2 sessions),” Pepperdine Harbor Lectures, class teacher, 2019.
“Behold the Lamb of God (John 1),” Affirming the Faith Seminar, Oklahoma City Area-Wide Churches of Christ, keynote, 2019.
“Preaching for Spiritual Community,” Kerygma Preaching Conference, Oklahoma Christian, presenter, 2018.
“Preaching from Ezekiel (3 sessions),” Austin Graduate School of Theology Sermon Seminar, presenter, 2017.
“Holy, Holy, Holy (Isa. 6:1-8),” Harding University Lectures, keynote speaker, 2016
“Go Make Disciples,” New Day Conference, North Blvd. Church of Christ, Murfreesboro, TN, keynote speaker, 2016.
“Parable of the Weeds” and “From Maintenance to Missional, Part 1, 2, and 3,” Harding University Lectures, keynote speaker and class teacher, 2015.
“Leading Churches that Work,” OVU Teachers, Elders, Deacons Workshop, presenter and panelist, 2015.
“From Maintenance to Missional, Part 1 and 2” Heritage Christian University Elevate, class teacher, 2014.
“Melchizedek (Heb. 7:1-28)” and “Three Theological Shifts for the Missional Church,” OVU Lectureship, keynote speaker and class teacher, 2014.
“A Light to the City: Learning to be a Church that Loves, Embraces, and Transforms the City,” ACU Summit, class teacher, 2013.
“Live In Him Rooted and Built Up,” and “Present Everyone Perfect in Christ,” OC Lectures, chapel speaker and class teacher, 2012.
Teaching:
BMIN 5873 Leading Churches in Mission
BMIN 7600 Missional Church Leadership
BMIN 7510 Intro to DMin Research
BMIN 7980 Research in Ministry
BMIS 5920 Multicultural Ministry
BMIS 5901 Spiritual Leadership
BMIN 5801-3 Theological Foundations for Ministry
BMIN 5875 Congregational Ministry
BMIN 5900 Evangelism, Discipleship, and Church Planting
BMIN 7520 Contextual Theology and Strategies
BMIN 7600 Congregational Leadership Systems
Research Interests:
Missional theology
Church leadership
Ministry in urban contexts
Racial reconciliation
Ministry Involvement:
Active member of White Station Church of Christ, Memphis, TN; 2021- present
Preaching Minister, Southside Church of Christ, Fort Worth, TX; 2006-2021
Campus Minister Apprentice, Highland St. Church of Christ, Memphis, TN; 2003-2006
Associate Minister, Cave City Church of Christ, Cave City, AR; 2002-2003
Presentations:
“Echoes of Gilgamesh in Genesis.” York University, Clayton Museum, 2024.
“Being and Becoming Human in the Book of Job,” Evangelical Theological Society Conference, Fall 2023.
“Faithful Protest.” Harding University Preachers Conference, 2021.
“Working in Wisdom.” Great Lakes Bible College Seminar, 2019
“They Hymned their King in Strains Divine: Psalms.” Jack P. Lewis Christian Studies
Seminar, White Station Church of Christ, 2018
“Sweeter than Honey: The Taste of the Law.” Midwest Preacher’s Retreat, 2017
“The Rhetoric of Condemnation in the Book of Job,” Society of Biblical Literature, Annual Meeting, Fall 2017
“The ‘Low-life’ Mockers of Job: Job 30:1-8 as an Extended Animal Metaphor,” Society of Biblical Literature, Annual Meeting, Fall 2015
“Metaphor Coherence and Competition in the Joban Discourse: ‘Proverbs of Ashes’ in Its Conceptual Context,” Society of Biblical Literature, Annual Meeting, Fall 2014
Teaching:
BOLD 5000 Old Testament Survey
BOLD 5001 Advanced Introduction to the Old Testament
BOLD 5010 Old Testament World
BOLD 5020 Archaeology of the Bible
BOLD 5040 Pentateuch
BOLD 5060 Wisdom Literature
BOLD 5082 Isaiah
BOLD 5090/5091 Beginning Biblical Hebrew I, II
BOLD 5100 Hebrew Readings
BOLD 5130 Hebrew Poetry
BOLD 6030 Hebrew Readings in Isaiah
BMIN 7570 Old Testament and Christian Formation
Research Interests:
The Book of Job
Proverbs
Psalms
Hebrew Poetry
Ministry Involvement:
Member at Downtown Church of Christ
Former shepherd, Sycamore View Church of Christ, Memphis, TN.
Past ministry involvement includes mission work in Wisconsin
Presentations:
“Preaching Beauty and Beautiful Preaching: Homiletics and Aesthetics in Conversation," Christian Scholars’ Conference, 2025, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX
“Teaching Preaching via Rhetorical Criticism,” Evangelical Homiletics Society Conference, 2024, Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, PA
“‘Christ is Speaking’: The Psalms as the Grammar of Augustine’s Sermons,” Academy of Homiletics Conference, 2023, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
“Preaching Colossians,” Neller Preaching Lectures, 2023, Harding University, Searcy, AR
“Current Trends in Homiletics,” Christian Scholars’ Conference, 2023, Houston, TX
“The Holy Spirit, Ethics, and Aesthetics: Beauty and the Beautifier in Moral Theology, Art, and Rhetoric,” Christian Scholars’ Conference, 2023, Houston, TX
Teaching:
HOML 5830 Biblical Preaching
BMIN 5875 Congregational Ministry
BMIS 5920 Multicultural Ministry
HOML 5840 Preaching the Old Testament
HOML 5810 Sermon Development and Delivery
BMIN 5901 Spiritual Leadership
BMIN 5801 Theological Foundations for Ministry I
BMIN 5802 Theological Foundations for Ministry II
BMIN 5803 Theological Foundations for Ministry III
BMIN 7560 Creative Practices and Resources for Preaching
Research Interests:
Christian Moral Formation
Emotions in Preaching
History of Preaching
Poetry and Preaching
Ministry Involvement:
Preaching Minister, Beebe Church of Christ, Beebe, AR, 2015–Present
Board Member (Treasurer), Beebe Ministerial Alliance
Board Member (Treasurer), Beebe Soccer Association
Youth Minister, Beebe Church of Christ, Beebe, AR, 2010–2015
Jeff Peterson grew up near Houston and graduated from Galena Park High School. He earned a B.A. and M.A. from Abilene Christian University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Yale University. He taught New Testament and theology for 28 years at Austin Graduate School of Theology (earlier known as the Institute for Christian Studies) and more recently at Lipscomb University. Peterson has served several churches as interim pulpit minister and in 2023-24 was the preaching minister for the University Avenue Church of Christ in Austin, Texas. He has authored numerous popular and scholarly works and served as president and as coordinator of the Society of Biblical Literature, Southwest Region.
Presentations:
“Jeremiah’s New Covenant in Romans and in Paul’s Corinthian Correspondence,” Christian Scholars Conference, Abilene, Tex., 4-6 June 2025
“Preaching the Letters of John,” 2025 Harding University Preachers’ Conference, 19-21 May 2025.
“Pauline Evidence for Non-Pauline Meal Gatherings,” Redescribing Christian Origins
Seminar, Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) Annual Meeting, San Diego,
California, 25 November 2019
“Echoes of Isaiah 6 in the Lord’s Prayer,” SBL Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, 19
November 2018
“The Nuptial Vision of the Christian Bible,” Restoration Quarterly Breakfast, SBL Annual
Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 21 November 2016
“Get Me Rewrite: Luke’s Transformation of Matthaean Motifs,” SBL Annual Meeting,
Atlanta, Georgia, 21 November 2015
Panel review of The Origin of Heresy by Robert M. Royalty, Jr., and Orthodoxy and
Heresy in Early Christian Contexts (ed. Paul Horgan), SBL Annual Meeting,
Atlanta, Georgia, 22 November 2015
Panel review of The Hidden Gospels by Philip Jenkins, Christian Scholars Conference,
Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas, 5 June 2015
“The ‘Paulinism’ of 1 John and the Nature of Johannine Sectarianism,” SBL Annual
Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, 24 November 2013
“The ‘Paulinism’ of 1 John,” SBL International Meeting, University of St. Andrews,
Scotland, 8 July 2013
“Wisdom and Cross in 1 Corinthians,” SBL International Meeting, Pontifical Biblical
Institute, Rome, Italy, 1 July 2009
“The First and Second Tables of the Law in the New Testament,” Christian Scholars
Conference, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee, 27 June 2008
“Haggadic Concord and Halakhic Conflict in the First Christian Generation,” SBL Annual
Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, 22 November 2008
“Q 1:21 and 22:64: Jesus’ Birth and Passion in the ‘Synoptic Sayings Source,’” Q Section,
SBL Annual Meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, 23 November 2008
“One Faith: Haggadic Concord and Halakhic Conflict in the First Christian Generation,”
SBL Regional Presidential Address, Irving, Texas, 16 March 2008
“Wisdom 9:1–12 and the Exegetical Origins of Pre-Existence as a Christological Predicate,”
Seminar on the Development of Early Catholic Christianity, Dallas, 20 September 2007
“Psalm 110:4 in Hebrews and Prior Christian Exegesis,” Conference on Hebrews and
Christian Theology, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Summer 2006
“Teaching on Force in a Christian University,” Conference on Theology and the Christian
University, ACU, Abilene, Texas, Spring 2006
“Paul, Passover, and Politics: Shaping Christian Identity in Corinth,” SBL Annual
Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 21 November 2005
“From Passover to Eucharist,” Christian Scholars Conference, Pepperdine University, Malibu,
California, June 2005
“Dismissing the Sanhedrin: High Priest and Council in the Synoptics,” Synoptics Section,
SBL Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, 20 November 2004
“Cur Deus Homo: History and Spirituality According to Austin Farrer,” Captured by the
Crucified: Austin Farrer Centenary Conference, St. James Center for Spiritual
Formation, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 4 November 2004
“Austin Farrer’s Marcan Criticism: A Fresh Look,” Southwest Biblical Seminar, Brite
Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas, 15 October 2004
“The Person of Jesus Christ in Farrer’s Marcan Criticism,” plenary paper, Austin Farrer
Centenary Conference, Oriel College, Oxford University, 7 September 2004
“The Extent of Earliest Christian Diversity: The Pauline Evidence,” various versions
presented at SBL Southwest Regional Meeting, Irving, Texas, 16 March 2003; SBL
International Meeting, University of Cambridge, 21 July 2003; and Central Texas
Biblical Seminar, Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas, 13 February
2004
“Literary and Historical Interpretation in Austin Farrer’s Gospel Criticism,” Mark Section,
SBL International Meeting, University of Cambridge, 22 July 2003
“Q 1:21 and 22:64? Jesus’ Birth and Passion in the ‘Synoptic Sayings Source,’” SBL
Southwest Regional Meeting, Irving, Texas, 5 March 2000
“A Pioneer Narrative Critic and His Synoptic Hypothesis: Austin Farrer and Gospel
Interpretation,” SBL Annual Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee, 19 November 2000
“KATA TAS GRAPHAS: The Pre-Pauline Exegetical Catena in 1 Cor 15:3–5,” Seminar
on the Development of Early Catholic Christianity, University of Dallas, Irving,
Texas, October 1999
“Formative Instruction and Pauline Theology,” SBL Southwest Regional Meeting, Irving,
Texas, March 1999
“Exegesis and Exaltation in 1 Corinthians 15,” International Conference on the Origins of
the Worship of Jesus, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, 14 June 1998
“The Scriptures of Israel in the Gospel of Paul,” SBL Southwest Regional Meeting, Irving,
Texas, March 1998
“Baptism and Church in Romans 6,” Restoration Theological Research Fellowship, SBL
Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 1994
Teaching:
BNEW 5201 Advanced Introduction to the New Testament
BNEW 5310 Greek I
BNEW 5311 Greek II
BNEW 5210 New Testament World
BNEW 5220 New Testament Theology
Various New Testament Exegesis courses
Research Interests:
The development of early Christian faith, practice, and theology from its beginnings until the era of Constantine.
Ministry Involvement:
Active member of the Beebe Church of Christ.
Keith Stanglin, Professor of Historical Theology, teaches courses in the history of Christianity and theology. He specializes in Reformation and post-Reformation theology, the history of biblical interpretation, moral theology, and Arminianism. A prolific author, Keith has written or edited eleven books and numerous articles for both scholarly and popular audiences.
Keith is the Executive Director of the Center for Christian Studies in Austin, Texas and the editor of the Journal of Christian Studies. He has served churches in a number of ministry roles, most recently as an interim preaching minister.
Selected Books:
The Catholic Arminius: Theological Influences and Contexts in Early Modern Protestantism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, under contract.
A Voice in the Wilderness: An Anthology in Memory of Michael and Libby Weed. Austin: Center for Christian Studies Press, 2025. (Co-edited with M. Todd Hall.)
Super-Abundant Grace: Reflections on Romans. Eugene: Cascade, 2022.
Ethics beyond Rules: How Christ’s Call to Love Informs Our Moral Choices. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Reflective, 2021.
After Arminius: A Historical Introduction to Arminian Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021. (Co-authored with Tom McCall.)
The Letter and Spirit of Biblical Interpretation: From the Early Church to Modern Practice. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018.
The Reformation to the Modern Church: A Reader in Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
Jacob Arminius: Theologian of Grace. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. (Co-authored with Tom McCall.)
The Missing Public Disputations of Jacobus Arminius: Introduction, Text, and Notes. Brill’s Series in Church History, vol. 47. Leiden: Brill, 2010.
Arminius, Arminianism, and Europe: Jacobus Arminius (1559/60–1609). Brill’s Series in Church History, vol. 39. Leiden: Brill, 2009. (Co-edited with Th. Marius van Leeuwen and Marijke Tolsma.)
Arminius on the Assurance of Salvation: The Context, Roots, and Shape of the Leiden Debate, 1603–1609. Brill’s Series in Church History, vol. 27. Leiden: Brill, 2007.
Teaching:
BHIS 5601 History of Christianity I
BHIS 5602 History of Christianity II
Research Interests:
Reformation and post-Reformation theology
The history of biblical interpretation
Biblical theology
Moral theology
Arminianism
Ministry Involvement:
Executive Director of the Center for Christian Studies in Austin, Texas and the editor of the Journal of Christian Studies. Has served churches in a number of ministry roles, most recently as an interim preaching minister.
Teaching:
BMIN 5990 Advanced Theological Research
Serves as theological instruction librarian for HST and the College of Bible and Ministry.
Research Interests:
Academic reading format preference
Information-seeking behavior
The Book of Judges
Ministry Involvement:
Active member of Cloverdale Church of Christ, Searcy, AR.
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