Professor of Philosophy and Ethics
585.594.6570
BasingerD@roberts.edu
Lectures, Seminars

Dr. Basinger holds two graduate degrees in philosophy. His earned degrees include: Ph.D., University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1975; M.A., University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1974; B.A., Bellevue College, 1972; B.A., Grace College of the Bible, 1969.

Professionally, Dr. Basinger is an active member of two learned societies. A distinguished scholar, both in the philosophy of religion and in ethics, he is actively involved in publishing books, articles, and reviews. Dr. Basinger currently serves as the chair of the Division of Religion and Humanities and dean of faculty at Roberts Wesleyan College.

Speaking Topics:

• Bioethical Issues
• Openness of God Debate

Professional Achievements:
Books

Religious Tolerance through Epistemic Humility: Thinking with Philip Quinn (Ashgate Press, 2008). Edited with James Kraft.

Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 4th edition (New York: Oxford Press, 2007).

Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, 3rd edition (Oxford Press, 2006). Edited with Bill Hasker, Bruce Reichenbach and Michael Peterson.

Religious Diversity: A Philosophical Assessment (Ashgate Press, 2002).

Middle Knowledge: Theory and Applications (Lang Press, 1999). Edited with William Hasker and Eef Decker.

The Case For Freewill Theism, (InterVarsity Press, 1996).

The Openness of God (InterVarsity Press, 1994). Authored with Bill Hasker, Clark Pinnock, John Sanders, and Richard Rice.

Divine Power in Process Theism: A Philosophical Critique (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1988).

Divine Sovereignty and Human Freedom: Practical Implications (Downer's Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1986). Edited with Randall Basinger. Translated into German, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Chinese.

Philosophy and Miracle: The Contemporary Debate (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1986). Authored with Randall Basinger.

Kerygma and Praxis (Winona Lake, IN: Light and Life Press, 1984). Edited with Wesley Vanderhoof.

Articles

"Religious Belief Formation: A Kantian Approach Informed by Science," forthcoming in a reader on Science and Religion to be published in 2008.

"Miracles: Definition," forthcoming in a reader on Miracles to be published by Cambridge Press in 2008.

"Religious Diversity in Public Education," forthcoming in a reader on Religious Diversity to be published by Oxford Press in 2008.

"How Religious Diversity Can Foster Religious Tolerance," Religious Tolerance through Epistemic Humility: Thinking with Philip Quinn, eds., James Kraft and David Basinger (Ashgate Press, 2007).

"Predestination" and "Philosophy of Religion," Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology,ed., Daniel Patte (forthcoming from Cambridge Press.)

"Religious Diversity," Stanford Online Encyclopedia of Philosophy (plato.stanford.edu, 2005, revised 2007).

"Does God Respond to Prayer?" Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion, ed. Michael Peterson (Blackwell Press, 2004).

"Theodicy: A Comparative Analysis" in Semper Reformandum: Studies in Honour of Clark Pinnock , eds., Stanley Porter and Anthony Cross (Crumbia, UK: Paternoster Press, 2003)

"Religious Diversity: Where Exclusivists Often Go Wrong," International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion 47 (2000): 43-55.

"Infant Suffering: A Response to Chignell," Religious Studies 35 (1999).

"The Challenge of Religious Diversity: A Middle Ground," Sophia 38/1 (March-April, 1999): 41-53.

"The Logic of Theodicy: A Comparative Analysis," The Journal for Christian Theological Research, 1998. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Process Theism," Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (New York: Routledge, 1998).

"Miracles," Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy (New York: Routledge, 1998).

"Fighting Grade Inflation: A Misguided Effort?" College Teaching 45/3 (Summer, 1997).

"Pluralism and Justified Religious Belief: A Response to Gellman," Faith and Philosophy 13 (1996): 260-265.

"Can a Christian Justifiably Deny God's Exhaustive Knowledge of the Future?" Christian Scholar's Review 25 (December, 1995): 133-145.

"Miracle and Justified Theistic Belief," Sophia 34 (December, 1995): 58-62.

"Petitionary Prayer: A Response to Murray and Meyers," Religious Studies 31 (1995): 475-484. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"The Problem with the Problem of Evil," Religious Studies 30 (1994): 89-97.

"Granny Weatherall and Systems of Belief," Religious Humanism 27 (Winter, 1993): 191-197.

"Divine Control and Human Freedom: Is Middle Knowledge the Answer?" The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 36 (March, 1993): 55-64.

"Simple Foreknowledge and Providential Control: A Response to Hunt," Faith and Philosophy 10 (July, 1993): 421-427.

"Process Theism, Evil and Life After Death: A Response to Griffin," Encounter 53 (1992): 353-63.

"Feminism and Epistemology: A Response to Code," Journal of Philosophical Research 17 (1992): 29-37.

"Process Theism versus Free-will theism: A Response to Griffin," Process Studies 20 (1991): 204-220.

"Middle Knowledge and Divine Control: Some Clarifications," International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion 30 (1991): 129-139.

"Divine Omniscience and the Soteriological Problem of Evil: Is the Type of Knowledge God Possesses Relevant?" Religious Studies 28 (1991): 1-18.

"Plantinga, Pluralism and Justified Religious Belief," Faith and Philosophy 8 (January, 1991): 67-80.
- Reprinted in Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology of Contemporary Views, ed., Melville Y. Stewart (Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 1996): 727-741.

"Divine Knowledge and Divine Control: A Response to Gordon and Sadowsky," Religious Studies 26 (1990): 267-275.

"The Measurement of Religiousness: Some Philosophical Concerns," Journal of Psychology and Christianity 9 (Summer, 1990): 5-13.

"Miracles as Evidence for Theism," Sophia 29 (April, 1990): 56-59.
- Reprinted in Questions of Miracle, ed., Robert Larmer (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996): 93-95.

"Neutrality in the College Classroom: A Defense," Faculty Dialogue 12 (1989): 79-92. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Process-Relational Christian Soteriology: A Response to Wheeler," Process Studies 18 (1989): 114-117.

"Hauerwas on the Problem of Evil: A Response," Christian Scholar's Review, 18 (1989): 289-295.

"Hick's Religious Pluralism and Reformed Epistemology," Faith and Philosophy 5 (1988): 421-432.
– Reprinted in Philosophy of Religion: An Anthology, ed., Louis Pojman (Wadsworth, 3rd ed., 1997).
– Reprinted in The Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity, eds., Philip Quinn and Kevin Meeker (New York: Oxford Press, 2000).
– Reprinted in Philosophy of Religion: Selected Readings, eds., Peterson, Hasker, Reichenbach and Basinger (New York: Oxford Press, 1996).

"Gender Roles, Scripture and Science: Some Clarifications," Christian Scholar's Review, vol. 17 (1988): 241-253.

"Middle Knowledge and Human Freedom: Some Clarifications," Faith and Philosophy, vol. 4 (1987): 330-336.
-Response: William Hasker, "Reply to Basinger on Power Entailment," Faith and Philosophy, vol. 5 (1988): 87-90.

"Miracle and Natural Explanations: A Response to Larmer," Sophia, vol. 26 (1987): 22-26.
- Reprinted in Questions of Miracle, ed., Robert Larmer (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1996): 83-87.

"Biblical Paradox and the Laws of Logic," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 30 (1987): 205-213.

"Evil and a Finite God: A Response to McGrath," Philosophy Research Archives, vol. 12 (1987-88): 285-287.

"Voting One's Christian Conscience," Christian Scholar's Review 15 (1986): 141-56.

"Is Belief in God Rational?" New Scholasticism 60 (1986): 163-85.

"Middle Knowledge and Classical Christian Thought," Religious Studies 22 (1986): 407-422.

"The New Calvinism: A Sheep in Wolves' Clothing," Scottish Journal of Theology 39 (1986): 483-499.

"Omniscience and Deliberation: A Response to Reichenbach," International Journal forPhilosophy of Religion 20 (1986): 169-72.

"In What Sense Must God Do His Best: A Response to Hasker," International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 19 (1985): 161-64.

"Human Coercion: A Fly in the Process Ointment," Process Studies 15 (1986): 161-71.

"Petitionary Prayer in Process Theology," Evangelical Journal (Fall, 1986).

"Inerrancy and Free Will: Some Further Thoughts," The Evangelical Quarterly 58 (1986): 351-354. (With Randall Basinger).

"Do Process Theists Have a Better Idea?" in ProcessTheology. Edited by Ronald Nash (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986).

"'Portent in Little': Frost's 'Design' and the Nature of the Creator," in Kerygma and Praxis (Winona Lake, IN: Light and Life Press, 1984): 132-42. Authored with Harold Hurley.

"Divine Persuasion: Could the Process God Do More?" Journal of Religion, vol. 64, no. 3 (1984): 332-47.
-Response: Lewis Ford, "Divine Persuasion and Coercion," Encounter (1986).

"Divine Omniscience and Human Freedom: A 'Middle Knowledge' Perspective," Faith and Philosophy, vol. 1 no. 3 (1984): 291-301.

"Griffin and Pike on Divine Power: Some Clarifications," Philosophy Research Archives, vol.10 (1984): 347-52.

"Miracles as Violations," Southern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 1 (1984): 1-7.

"Flew, Miracles and History," Sophia, vol. 22, no. 2 (July, 1983): 15-22.

"In What Sense Must God be Omnibenevolent?" International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, vol. 14 (1983): 3-15.
-Response: William Hasker, "Must God Do His Best?" International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, vol. 16 (1984): 213-23.

"Why Petition an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Wholly Good God?" Religious Studies, vol. 19, (1983): 25-41.

"Inerrancy, Dictation and the Free-Will Defense," Evangelical Quarterly, vol. 55, no. 3 (July, 1983): 177-80. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Evil and Determinism," Australasian Journal of Philosophy, vol. 60, no. 2 (June, 1982): 163-66.

"Divine Omniscience and the Best of All Possible Worlds," Journal of Value Inquiry, vol. 16 (1982): 143-48.
-Response: David Gordon, "Must God Identify the Best?" Journal of Value Inquires (1985): 81-83.

"Plantinga's 'Free-Will Defense' as a Challenge to OrthodoxTheism," American Journal of Philosophy and Theology, vol. 3, no. 2 (May, 1982): 35-41.

"Humanism, Morality and the Meaning of Life," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, vol. 34, no. 3 (Sept., 1982): 172-74.

"Lying in the Laboratory: Deception in Human Research," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, vol. 34, no. 4 (December, 1982): 201-12. Authored with P. Livermore and R. Bassett.

"Manipulation For the Cause of Christ," Eternity, (July/August, 1982): 21-23.

"The Shroud of Turin: A Response to Habermas," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 25, no. 2 (1982): 215-18. Authored with Randall Basinger.
-Response: Gary Habermas, "The Shroud of Turin: A Rejoinder," JETS, vol., 25, no. 2 (1982): 215-225.

"Anderson on Plantinga: A Response," Philosophy Research Archives, vol. 8 (1982): 315-20.

"Divine Determinateness and the Free-Will Defense," Philosophy Research Archives, vol. 8 (1982): 531-34. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Evil as Evidence Against God's Existence," The Modern Schoolman, vol. 58 no. 3 (March, 1981): 175-84.
- Reprinted in The Problem of Evil, ed. Michael Peterson (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1992): 141-152.

"Divine Omnipotence: Plantinga vs. Griffin," Process Studies, vol.II, no. 2 (1981): 11-24. Authored with Randall Basinger.
-Response: Alvin Plantinga, "Reply to the Basingers on Divine Omnipotence," Process Studies, vol. 11, no. 2 (1981): 25-29.
-Response: James Keller, "The Basingers on Divine Omnipotence: A Further Point," Process Studies, vol. 12, no.1 (1982):

"In the Image of Man Create They God," Scottish Journal of Theology, vol. 34, no. 2 (1981): 97-107. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Nielsen and the Nature of Theistic Ethics," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 24, no. 3 (Sept., 1981): 233-238.

"Christian Theism and the Fee Will Defense," Sophia, vol. 19, no. 2 (July, 1980): 20-33.
-Response: Thomas P. Flint, "Divine Sovereignty and the Free Will Defense," Sophia, vol. 24, no. 2 (1983): 41-52.

"Miracles and Apologetics: A Response," Christian Scholar's Review, vol. 9, no. 4 (1980): 354-58.

"Frost's `The Most of It,,' Humanism, and the Meaning of Life," Religious Humanism, vol. 14, no. 4 (Fall, 1980): 146-51. Authored with C. Harold Hurley.

"Christian Theism and the Concept of Miracle: Some Epistemological Perplexities," the Southern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 18, no. 2 (1980): 137-50.

"Must God Create the Best Possible World: A Response," International Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 20, no. 3 (Sept., 1980): 339-41.
-Response: David Gordon, "Must God Identify the Best?" vol. 19 (1985): 81-83.

"Human Freedom and Divine Providence: Some New Thoughts on an Old Problem," Religious Studies, 15 (December, 1979): 491-510.

"Science and the Concept of Miracle," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, vol. 30, no. 4 (December, 1978): 164-68. Authored with Randall Basinger.

"Evil as Evidence Against God's Existence," Philosophy Research Archives, vol. 4, no. 1275 (April, 1978).

Professor of History and Culture
585.594.6336
CatonS@roberts.edu
Lectures, Seminars

Dr. Caton, also Professor of History at Roberts Wesleyan College, is a graduate of that college (1986). He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Religion (Theological Studies concentration) at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (1988). He received his Ph.D. in History (major field American History, minor fields in British History and British Literature) at the University of Rochester (1998).

Dr. Caton has been at Roberts Wesleyan College since 1990 and is a founding faculty member of Northeastern Seminary. His research interests include American and British Puritanism, the English Reformation, 19th- and 20th-century American evangelicalism, John Henry Newman’s life and writings, and the work of American cultural critic Orestes Brownson. He also has an academic interest in G.K. Chesterton and is a founding member of the Rochester Chapter of the American Chesterton Society.

Speaking Topics:

• Church History
• Roman Catholicism and Protestantism

Professional Achievements:
Dissertation
The Complete Minister: The De Profundis Sermons of Jonathan Mitchel.

Papers

"Paper titled, Chesterton the Medievalist" (June 2004) for the annual conference of the American Chesterton Society, St. Paul, Minnesota

Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Relations and Professor of Pastoral Ministry
585.594.6800
Connell_Jack@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Dr. Jack Connell is Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Relations and Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Northeastern Seminary.  He has nearly twenty years of pastoral experience, including eleven years as senior pastor of Crosswinds Wesleyan Church in Canandaigua, NY.  During these years at Crosswinds, average weekend attendance grew from 200 to 1400.   Dr. Connell has held senior administrative positions at Houghton College and Asbury Theological Seminary, and has taught for a number of institutions in the areas of biblical preaching and church leadership.  He has served on the boards of several organizations, and is currently a member of the Houghton College Board of Trustees. Dr. Connell has doctoral and masters degrees from Asbury Theological Seminary and an undergraduate degree from Houghton College. He is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church.  He and his wife Wendy reside in Canandaigua, NY with their four children.     

 

Speaking Topics:

• Church Administration
• Church Revitalization
• Leadership
• Preaching

Professional Achievements:
Articles

Anatomy of a Bad Hire. Leadership Journal. 2006.

The Dangers o/Prayer Meeting. The Wesleyan Advocate, November 1993.

The Pretty Good Pastor. The Preacher's Magazine, Summer 1993.

Ministry in Mid-Life. Rev. Magazine. November 2008

An Arm of the Church. Houghton Milieu. Fall 2008

Presentations and Participations

Selected participant: Pastors Plus Conference Planning Team, Wesleyan Church International Center, August 2005.

Selected participant and presenter: Spiritual Friends Seminars, Asbury Theological Seminary, July 2005 to present.

Presenter: Wesleyan Church Theological Symposium on "Saving Grace." Wesleyan Church International Center, April 2005.

Selected participant: Wesleyan Church conference on church planting and multiplication. February 2005.

Speaker at numerous churches and retreats.

Academic Vice President and Dean and Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology
585.594.6331
CullumD@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Dr. Cullum holds four graduate degrees, and is an ordained clergyman. His earned degrees include: Ph.D., M.Phil., Drew University; Th.M., Duke University; M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary; B.A., Asbury College.

Dr. Cullum’s teaching ministry emphasizes the seamless relationship between the academic and practical aspects of Christian theology. His desire is to assist the local church in finding renewal along biblical and classical lines. Having been active in ministry since 1978, Dr. Cullum served pastorates until 1994 when he was invited to come to Roberts Wesleyan College to serve as College Chaplain and faculty member in the religion department. In 1998, Dr. Cullum became one of the founding faculty members of Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College. Areas of special interest include Wesley and the Methodist tradition, Reformation theology and history, liturgy and liturgical theology, 19th-century American religion, and 20th-century neo-orthodoxy. Professionally, Dr. Cullum participates in the North American Academy of Liturgy and the Wesley Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion.

Speaking Topics:

• Pastoral Calling and Vocation
• Preaching
• Reformation Theology
• Spiritual Formation
• Wesleyan/Methodist Theology
• Worship

Professional Achievements:
Dissertation

Gospel Simplicity: Rhythms of Faith and Life among Free Methodists in Victorian America

Thesis

"What Does it Mean to be a Methodist? An Examination of Denominational Self-Identity in John Wesley, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Free Methodist Church"

Articles

"Gospel Simplicity: Benjamin Titus Roberts and the Formation of the Free Methodist Church." In From Aldersgate to Azusa Street: Wesleyan, Holiness & Pentecostal Visions of the New Creation, ed. Henry H. Knight III. Nashville: Abingdon Press, forthcoming (c. 2008/9).

Drafter and signatory of the "Holiness Manifesto," Christianity Today (March 27, 2006), available http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/113/13.0.html.

"Integrating Personal and Spiritual Formation in the MDiv Core Curriculum," Master of Divinity Curriculum Revision Folio (The Association of Theological Schools, 2006), 67-73.

"Cultivating Fruit for God," Illustrated Bible Life, Word Action Adult Curriculum, The Nazarene Publishing House, Kansas City, May 13, 2007.

Review article: Hughes Oliphant Old. The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 5: Moderatism, Pietism, and Awakening. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004. 620 pp. Paper. In Doxology (Fall, 2005).

(with Margaret G. Flowers and Wayne G. McCown). "Eighteenth Century Earthquakes and Apocalyptic Expectations: The Hymns of Charles Wesley," Methodist History 42, no. 4 (July 2004): 222-235.

(with Margaret G. Flowers). "A Sometime Diversion: The Hymn Translations and Original Hymns of John Wesley," Methodist History 41, no. 1 (October 2002): 295-308.

"Is the Church in Danger?" Light and Life (March 1997): 24-25.

"Where are the Women Leaders? Light and Life (February 1997): 18.

"From Simplicity to Multiplicity: Sunday Worship Among Free Methodists." In The Sunday Service of the Methodists: Twentieth-Century Worship in Worldwide Methodism. Studies in Honor of James F. White, edited by Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, 173-94. Nashville: Abingdon/Kingswood Books, 1996.

"Taking a Lesson from U-Haul." Light and Life (March 1992): 21.

Professor of Bible and Ministry
585.594.6498
Dwyer_Timothy@roberts.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Dr. Dwyer was educated at Aberdeen University in Scotland (Ph.D.); Talbot School of Theology (M.Div.); Azusa Pacific University (B.A.); and San Jose City College (A.A.). He has also studied at Yale and Indiana University.

Dr. Dwyer came to Roberts Wesleyan in 2003 after teaching for thirteen years at Anderson University School of Theology in Indiana. His current academic interests include the book of Galatians and its relation to its environment, and the book of Revelation and its many interpreters past and present. He has served as a pastor and jail chaplain in the past, and is an ordained minister in the Church of God (Anderson, IN). At Northeastern, he teaches courses in Daniel/Revelation and the biblical languages.

Speaking Topics:

• Bible Studies
• Book of Revelation
• The Lord’s Prayer
• Preaching
• Violence in the Bible

Professional Achievements:

Professor of Theology and Social Ethics
585.594.6607
Gerhardt_Elizabeth@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars

Professor Gerhardt holds a Th.D. degree from Boston University School of Theology in church history and social ethics. Her earned degrees include: Th.D., Boston University School of Theology, 2000; S.T.M., Boston University School of Theology, 1995; M.S.W., Rhode Island College, 1986; M.A., Providence College, 1983; B.A., State University of New York at Geneseo, 1977.

Dr. Gerhardt has extensive experience in the many arenas of social ministry. She taught on the faculty of Roberts Wesleyan College’s Master of Social Work program before coming to NES. Her dissertation title was: Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Cause or Cure for Domestic Violence? Dr. Beth Gerhardt published, "Theological Reflections on the Prophetic Call," in Beyond Abuse in the Christian Home: Raising Voices of Change, edited by Catherine Clark Kroeger, Nancy Nason-Clark and Barbara Fisher-Townsend. This essay brings attention to the widespread global problem of violence against women and girls. Gerhardt argues that Luther’s theology of the cross offers the most useful approach and methodology in its perspective that roots social ethics in faith. By defining violence in the theological language of sin and extending the legal language to include human rights violations, she maintains that gender violence is a confessional issue that must be addressed by the whole church.

Speaking Topics:

• Luther Studies
• Social Ethics
• Theological Issues
• Violence Against Women

Professional Achievements:
Dissertation

"Martin Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Cause or Cure for Domestic Violence," Boston University, 2000.

Publications

"Theology First: The Prophetic Call of the Church" chapter in Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence, Wipf and Stock (to be published Fall, 2008).

Eighteen (18) dictionary entries for the New Westminster Dictionary of Church History (Pending)

Papers

A Theology of the Cross, Paper presented at Northeastern Seminary Conference, June 4, 2008.

Global Violence against Women: God’s Call for Justice and Reconciliation. Address at Messiah College, PA, two-day residency, October 2-3, 2006.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread. Keynote Address, Northeastern Seminary Women’s Conference, Rochester, November 19, 2006.

Centering Prayer. Annual Catholic Women’s Conference, Rochester, NY, October 14, 2006.

God’s Message and Mission of Peace. Sermon, Ecumenical Service organized by Orleans County Domestic Violence Task Force, October 18, 2006.

Where Are You? Chapel Address, Roberts Wesleyan College, November 18, 2006.

Christian Discipleship: Peacemaking in a Violent World. Keynote Address at Clarion University, Clarion, PA, Interfaith Dialogue on Faith and Peacemaking, March 28, 2006.

Faith-Based or Secular?: Components of Effective Batterer Intervention Programs. A Response Paper, Second Annual Peace and Safety in the Home Conference, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, April 21, 2006.

Shaking the Heavens: Deus Absconditus in the Theology of Martin Luther. Paper, Sixteenth Studies Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, October 20, 2005.

Listening to the Voice of God: Jesus and Women in the Gospels. Keynote Address, Northeastern Seminary Women’s Conference, Rochester, New York, October 19, 2005.

Behind Closed Doors: A Theological and Therapeutic Response to the Issue of Violence Against Women. Paper, Northeastern Seminary Conference, May 24, 2005.

Prayer, Confession, and Social Justice. Lecture, Borromeo Prayer Center, Rochester, New York, March 1, 2005.

Theology First: Building A Foundation for the Work of Ending Violence Against Women. Paper, International Conference on Peace and Safety, Newport Beach, California, February 25, 2005.

International Dimensions of Violence: A Theological Response, Lecture, Cultural Life Series, Roberts Wesleyan College, October 21, 2004.

Christmas Presence: The Meaning of the Incarnate Christ in Luther’s Advent Sermons. Paper, Sixteenth Century Studies Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, November 1, 2003.

Martin Luther’s Instruction on Prayer as Pastoral Care. Paper, Sixteenth Century Studies Conference, San Antonio, Texas, October 25, 2002.

Baptism: The Key To Martin Luther’s Theology. Paper, Sixteenth Century Studies Conference, Denver, CO, October 26, 2001.

Director of Field Education and Associate Professor of Applied Theology
585.594.6068
GrimmN@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Professor Grimm’s earned degrees include: Ph.D. from the University at Buffalo; M.S., Canisius College; M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary; B.A., Roberts Wesleyan College. His doctoral research considered the relationships between religiosity, spirituality, and life satisfaction.

Dr. Grimm brings to Northeastern Seminary extensive ministry experience — pastoring, Conference Superintendent within the Free Methodist Church of North America, and Chaplain — as well as interacting with other pastors, churches, and organizations in leadership/advisory capacities. He serves as a member of the Ministerial Education and Guidance Board of the Genesee Conference of the Free Methodist Church, is a clinical member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, and a member of the Evangelical Association of Theological Field Educators. Such expertise provides the Seminary with a strong internship program. Dr. Grimm will also be teaching in the area of Applied Theology.

Speaking Topics:

• Church Administration
• Church Revitalization
• Conflict Resolution
• Preaching

Professional Achievements:
Presentations

Effective Personnel Policies, Bishop’s Area Cabinet, Bradenton, Florida (2/26/99)

Pastoral Leadership Development, Bishop’s Area Cabinet, Atlanta, GA.

Managing the Church in Crisis: A Case Study, Bishop’s Area Cabinet, Charlotte, NC.

Managing Grief, Staff In-Service Training Session, Gowanda Nursing Home, Gowanda, NY.

The Spiritual Needs of the Dying Patient, Nursing In-Service Training Session, Tri-County Memorial Hospital, Gowanda, NY.

Personal Mortality, Volunteer Training Class for the Caring Coalition of Gowanda, Gowanda, NY.

The Patient as a Person, Volunteer Training Class for Hospice Buffalo Inc., Buffalo, NY.

Ministering to the Needs of the Sick, Western New York Minister’s Conference, Free Methodist Church.

Theological Librarian and Professor of Historical and Contemporary Theology
585.594.6893
Hamilton_Barry@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars

Dr. Hamilton holds the following degrees: Ph.D., Drew University, 1993; M.L.S., University of North Texas, 1994; M.Phil., Drew University, 1991; M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1983.

Dr. Hamilton brings to Northeastern Seminary extensive experience as an author of a book and various articles and papers, as well as experience in pastoral ministry for eight years. He is an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church. Additionally, he served as assistant librarian at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, for five years, taught church history and research methods, and served as core faculty for the Doctor of Ministry program. He has taught seminary courses in Nigeria, served as a library consultant in Kenya, carried out research at Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and is under contract for a new book on Richard Watson’s Theology. He is a co-founder and charter member of a new regional theological library association for Upstate New York. Research interests include the 19th Century Holiness movement, Early American Methodism, Revivalism, and Contemplative Spirituality.

Speaking Topics:

• American Church History
• Wesleyan History
• Wesleyan Theology

Professional Achievements:
Books

William Baxter Godbey: Itinerant Apostle of the Holiness Movement. Studies in American Religion 72. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2000. 306 pages.

Articles

"Action Research for Theological Librarians: A Bibliographic Essay." Theological Librarianship 1:1 (2008), 54-59.

"The ‘Eternal Sonship’ Controversy in Early British Methodism." Wesleyan Theological Journal 40:2 (Fall 2005), 220-238.

"The Corsicana Enthusiasts: A Pre-Pentecostal Millennial Sect." Wesleyan Theological Journal 39:1 (Spring 2004), 173-193.

"A Model for Teaching Research Methods in Theological Education." Summary of Proceedings, Fifty-seventh Annual Conference of the American Theological Library Association, Portland, OR (26-28 June 2003), 154-174.

The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006. s.v. "Charles Parham."

The American Midwest: An Interpretive Encyclopedia. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2006. s.v. "Daniel S. Warner."

"The Moral Philosophy of Asa Shinn." Methodist History XL:3 (April 2002), 168-181.

"William Baxter Godbey: Apostle of Holiness." Wesleyan Theological Journal 36:2 (Fall 2001), 144-163.

Historical Dictionary of the Holiness Movement, ed. William Kostlevy. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001. s.v. "William Baxter Godbey."

"Introduction to Theological Reference Work." Summary of Proceedings, Fifty-third Annual Conference of the American Theological Library Association, Loyola University/Lakeshore Campus, Chicago, IL (9-12 June 1999), 47-72.

"Preaching the ‘Narrow Way’: William B. Godbey’s Homiletical Agenda for the Early Holiness Movement." Methodist History XXXVIII, no. 1 (October 1999), 40-52.

"Holiness Churches: Remembering Who We Are." God’s Revivalist and Bible Advocate, October 2002.

Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation
585.594.6572
Letterman_Rebecca@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Dr. Letterman has a M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary. Her other degrees include: Ph.D. in Linguistics, Cornell University, 1997; M.A. in Linguistics, Syracuse University, 1990; B.A. in English, Roberts Wesleyan College, 1985.

Dr. Letterman was ordained through Covenant Church of Pittsburgh, 2004. She completed a two-year certification program in Formative Spirituality at the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality, Pittsburgh, PA, 2004, where she has been an adjunct faculty member for the past four years. Dr. Letterman's research interests include the intersection of language, theology and spiritual formation

Speaking Topics:

• Retreat Facilitation
• Spiritual Formation

Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology
585.594.6582
LivermoreP@nes.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Dr. Livermore’s earned degrees include: Ph.D., Th.M., Princeton Theological Seminary; M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary; A.B., Greenville College. He is an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church. Dr. Livermore has served as a pastor and as a teacher. He joined the Roberts Wesleyan College faculty in 1976 and shared in the conception, birth, and development of Northeastern Seminary.

Dr. Livermore’s doctoral program involved the study of Second Temple Judaism and the dialogue between early Christianity and Judaism out of which it was born. Over the last two decades his research into the New Testament and early Judaism has continued, but it has also expanded to include, in particular, patristic Christianity and Wesley. All of these studies inform his work both as a seminary professor and as a member of the Study Commission on Doctrine of the Free Methodist Church on which he has served since 1979. In partial fulfillment of his responsibility on the Study Commission, he has written a Catechism for the Free Methodist Church and the first of a two-volume systematic theology (The God of Our Salvation). He is currently working on the second volume.

Speaking Topics:

• Biblical Studies
• Church History
• Preaching
• Wesleyan Theology

Professional Achievements:
Papers and Books

"The Lectionary: A Guide for Selecting Scripture Lessons During the Church Year" (published as a part of the Pastor's Hand¬book for the FMC, 1985)

"The Lord's Supper" (a ritual adopted by the 1989 General Conference as an alternate ritual)

"Historical Uses of the General Rule" (in the 1995 SCOD report to the General Conference)

"Theological Compendium" (in the 1995 SCOD report to the General Conference)

"A Comparison of the Historical Forms of the Article of Religion on Entire Sanctification" (in the 2003 SCOD report to the General Conference).

The God of Our Salvation: Systematic Theology from the Wesleyan Perspective (Light and Life Press, 1995).

Foundations of a Living Faith: The Catechism of the Free Methodist Church (Light and Life Communication, 1996)

Other Publications

"Christian Excellence and the Sermon on the Mount," Asbury Semi¬narian (1973)

"The Shepherd Scale: Separating the Sheep from the Goats," in Journal of Psychology and Theology (Winter, 1981) with Rodney L. Bassett and others

"Lying in the Laboratory: Deception in Human Research from Psy¬chological, Philosophical, and Theological Perspectives," Journal of American Scientific Affiliation (December, 1982) with Rodney L. Bassett and David Basinger

"Synaxis and Eucharistia: An Examination of the Structure of Public Worship," in a Festschrift for Stanley R. Magill, Kerygma and Praxis, ed. Wesley Vanderhoof and David Basinger (Winona Lake, IN; Light and Life, 1984), pp. 99-112

"The Precious Instrument: A Study of the Concept of the Law in Judaism and Evangelicalism," Wesleyan Theological Journal, 22:1 (1987), pp. 16-37

"The Holy Spirit in the New Age," The Spirit in the New Age (Wesleyan Theological Perspectives, vol. 5; Anderson, IN: Warner, 1986), pp. 443-483

"The Form and the Power of Godliness: The Historical Uses of the General Rules for the United Socieities," in Canadian Methodist Historical Society: Papers (Toronoto: 1991, forthcoming)

"The Formative Document of a Denomination Aborning: The Free Methodist Discipline (1860)," in Religious Writings and Religious Systems: Systemic Analysis of Holy Books in Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Greco-Roman Religions, Ancient Israel, and Judaism, ed. by Jacob Neusner, Ernest S. Frerichs, and A.J. Levine, vol. 1 (Brown Studies in Religion, 02; Atlanta, Georgia: Scholars Press, 1989), pp. 175-195.

President and Professor of Old Testament Studies
585.594.6100
MartinJ@roberts.edu
Lectures, Seminars, Sermons

Ph.D., President; B.A., Wheaton College, 1971; Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1975; Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1980; Ph.D., University of North Texas, 1991. At RWC since 1996.

President Martin is also a member of several organizations including the American Academy of Religion, the American Association of Higher Education, the International Organization of Septuagint and Cognate Studies, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Speaking Topics:

• Biblical Studies
• Leadership
• Preaching

Professional Achievements:
Publications

"Christ as Fulfillment of the Law, Matthew 5:17-20," in Israel and the Church, Essays in Contemporary Dispensational Thought, ed. Craig Blaising and Darrell Bock (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992).

"The Last Years of Dallas Bible College--1983-85," unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of North Texas, May 1991.

"Dispensational Approaches to the Sermon on the Mount," in Essays in Honor of J. Dwight Pentecost, ed. Stanley D. Toussaint and Charles H. Dyer (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986).

"The Structure of 1 and 2 Samuel," Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (January-March, 1984): 28-42.

"The Literary Quality of 1 and 2 Samuel," Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (April-June, 1984): 131-145.

"The Text of Samuel," Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (July-September, 1984): 209-22.

"The Theology of Samuel," Bibliotheca Sacra 141 (October-December, 1984): 303-14.

Isaiah: The Glory of Messiah, Alfred Martin, coauthor (Chicago: Moody Press, 1983).

"Luke, Isaiah, Esther, Ezra, Micah," The Bible Knowledge Commentary, ed. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983).

"A Critical Analysis of the Fourth Column of Origen’s Hexapla in 4 Reigns (2 Kings)," unpublished doctoral dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, August, 1980.

Professor of Bible and Culture
585.594.6971
Middleton_Richard@roberts.edu
Lectures, Seminars

Professor Middleton has a Ph.D. from the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, in a joint-degree program with the Institute of Christian Studies, Toronto. His other degrees include: M.A. in Philosophy, University of Guelph, 1985, and B.Th., Jamaica Theological Seminary, 1977.

He has done additional graduate studies in the Old Testament at Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1986-1988), and in religious studies and philosophy at Syracuse University (1984-1985). He is widely published in religious periodicals and journals, as well as the author of four books. Special areas of interest are Old Testament theology, the Christian worldview, the books of Genesis and Samuel, the doctrine of Creation, and Christianity and postmodern culture.

Speaking Topics:

• Christianity and Postmodernism
• Christian Worldview
• Holistic Eschatology: the Redemption of Heaven and Earth
• Jesus and the Kingdom of God
• Lament Psalms and Human Suffering

Professional Achievements:
Books

1 and 2 Samuel. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries (Forthcoming from Abingdon Press).

A New Heaven and a New Earth: The Bible’s Holistic Vision of the Redemption of Creation (Forthcoming from Brazos Press)

The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2005). Translated and published in Korean (forthcoming).

Truth is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995). Co-authored with Brian Walsh. British edition published by SPCK (1995) in the "Gospel and Culture" series. Selected as a 1996 Book Award winner by Christianity Today. Translated and published in Korean (2007).

The Advent of Justice: A Book of Meditations (Toronto, ON: CJL Foundation, 1993). Co-authored with Brian Walsh, Mark Vander Vennen and Sylvia Keesmaat. Adopted as a 1993 Advent study guide by the Anglican Church, Diocese of Toronto. Revised edition published by Dordt College Press, 1994.

The Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984). Co-authored with Brian Walsh. Translated and published in Korean (1987), French (1988), Indonesian (2001), Spanish (2003),  and Portuguese (2009).

Essays and Articles

"Salvation." Article for the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 5, ed. by Katharine Doob Sakenfeld et al. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2009), 45-61. Coauthored with Michael J. Gorman.

"Violence." Article for the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, vol. 5, ed. by Katharine Doob Sakenfeld et al. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2009), 783-784.

"From the Clenched Fist to the Open Hand: A Postmodern Reading of the Twenty-Third Psalm." In The Strategic Smorgasbord of Postmodernity: Literature and the Christian Critic, ed. by Deborah C. Bowen (Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2007), 307-325.

"A New Heaven and a New Earth: The Case for a Holistic Reading of the Biblical Story of Redemption." Journal for Christian Theological Research, vol. 11 (2006): 73-97. Published online: <http://www.luthersem.edu/ctrf/JCTR/Vol11/Middleton_vol11.pdf>

Book review of Terence E. Fretheim, God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of Creation (Nashville: Abingdon, 2005). In the Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, vol. 6 (2006). Published online: <http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/JHS/reviews/review228.htm>

"Created in the Image of a Violent God? The Ethical Problem of the Conquest of Chaos in Biblical Creation Texts." Interpretation 58/4 (2004): 341-55.

"The Battle Belongs to the Word: The Role of Theological Discourse in David’s Victory over Saul and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17." In The Hermeneutics of Charity: Interpretation, Selfhood, and Postmodern Faith, ed. by James K. A. Smith and Henry Isaac Venema (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2004), 109-131.

"Creation Founded in Love: Breaking Rhetorical Expectations in Genesis 1:1-2:3." In Sacred Texts, Secular Times: The Hebrew Bible in the Modern World, ed. by Leonard Jay Greenspoon and Bryan F. LeBeau (Studies in Jewish Civilization 10; Omaha: Creighton University Press, 2000), 47-85.

"Identity and Subversion in Babylon: Strategies for ‘Resisting Against the System’ in the Music of Bob Marley and the Wailers." Chapter 9 in Religion, Culture and Tradition in the Caribbean, ed. by Hemchand Gossai and N. Samuel Murrell (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000), 181-204.

"Curiosity Killed the Cat (Or, the Outrageous Hope of Reformational Scholarship and Practice)." In Perspective, 32/4 (December 1998): i-iv.

"Why the ‘Greater Good’ Isn’t a Defense: Classical Theodicy in Light of the Biblical Genre of Lament." Koinonia vol. 9, nos. 1&2 (Fall 1997): 81-113. Winner of the annual Fall essay competition of the Princeton Graduate Theological Forum. Published with five response essays.

"Cockburn’s Prophetic Passion Linked with Poetic Depth in Charity." CD review of Bruce Cockburn, The Charity of Night. In Christian Info News (August 1997). Co-authored with Brian Walsh. On the web at <http://www.canadianchristianity.com/august97/cockburn.html>.

"On Reading Texts in a Postmodern Time: A Response to Douglas Harink," Canadian Evangelical Review (Fall 1996). Co-authored with Brian Walsh. An invited response to a book review of Middleton and Walsh’s Truth Is Stranger Than It Used to Be: Biblical Faith in a Postmodern Age (1995).

"Parables of Compassion and Judgement: Opening Meditations for a Creation-Order Tradition." In An Ethos of Compassion and the Integrity of Creation, ed. by Brian J. Walsh, Hendrik Hart and Robert E. VanderVennen (Lanham, MD, New York and London: University Press of America, 1995), 4-16.

"Facing the Postmodern Scalpel: Can the Christian Faith Withstand Deconstruction?" Chapter 7 in Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World, ed. by Timothy R. Phillips and Dennis L. Okholm (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995). Co-authored with Brian Walsh.

"Voices from the Ragged Edge: How the Psalms Can Help Us Process Pain." Canadian Theological Society Newsletter/ Communiqué de la société théologique canadienne 14/1 (November 1994): 4-7. Reprinted in Perspective 29/1 (March 1995): 4-5.

"Is Creation Theology Inherently Conservative? A Dialogue with Walter Brueggemann." Harvard Theological Review 87/3 (1994): 257-277. Published with Brueggemann’s "Response to J. Richard Middleton," 279-289

"The Liberating Image? Interpreting the Imago Dei in Context." Christian Scholar’s Review 24/1 (1994): 8-25. On web at: <http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/OTeSources/01-Genesis/Text/Articles-Books/Middleton-ImagoDei-CSR.htm>

“Image of God.”  Article for the Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics, ed. by Joel Green, Jacqueline Lapsley, Rebekah Miles, and Allen Verhey (Forthcoming from Baker Academic Press)

"Based on Creation." In The Transforming Vision: Living and Learning in Community, ed. by Laurie A. Schreiner (Acton, MA: Tapestry Press, 1994), 72-81. Reprint of chapter 3 from Walsh and Middleton, The Transforming Vision (1984).

"Let’s Put Herod Back into Christmas." The Catalyst 16/8-9 (Nov-Dec, 1993). Awarded first prize by the Canadian Church Press for best "Theological Reflection—Inspirational." Reprinted in the Hamilton Spectator, December 22, 1993, the London Free Press, December 17, 1994, the Menonite Brethren Herald, December 1994, the Canada Lutheran, December 1994, the Prairie Messenger, December 1994, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, December 20, 1998, and Roberts Today (alumni magazine of Roberts Wesleyan College), Winter 2004.

"Theology at the Rim of a Broken Wheel: Bruce Cockburn and Christian Faith in a Postmodern World." Grail: An Ecumenical Journal 9/2 (June 1993): 15-39. Co-authored with Brian Walsh. On the web at: http://www.kingsfield.com/cockburn/archives/articles/theology.htm and at <http://www.things.org/music/bruce_cockburn/articles/grail.html>.

"Are Christians Other-Worldly?" In Exploring Apologetics: Selected Readings (Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Schools International, 1992). Reprint of Myth #5 from Carkner, Gruning, Middleton and Toombs, Ten Myths About Christianity (rev. ed., 1984).

"Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws: Imaging God at the End of the Twentieth Century." The Crucible 2/3 (Spring 1992): 11-18. Co-authored with Brian Walsh.

Ten Myths About Christianity. Privately published booklet on apologetics, 1983. Rev. ed. 1984 accompanied by a ten-poster display set. Co-authored with Gordon Carkner, Herb Gruning and Bruce Toombs. Distributed in North America through Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and worldwide through the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students.