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David S. Dockery was
elected the 15th president of Union University on December 8, 1995.
Since that time the university has seen an increase in student
enrollment from 1,975 in the Fall of 1996 to over 4,000 in 2009, which
includes twelve straight years of increased enrollment. The
number of donors to the university has more than tripled during this period.
The significant increase in giving to the university during
this time has included sixteen
of the largest gifts in Union’s long history. Dockery has provided
leadership for three major five-year strategic plans: Vision and Values 2001; Vision and Values 2005;
and Union 2010: A Vision for Excellence. Prior to coming to Union,
Dockery served as Chief Academic Officer at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
During his tenure the
university has seen a strong increase in commitment to excellence in
teaching and scholarship. Union has been listed among the top tier
institutions in the South each of the past thirteen years by U.S. News and
World Report. Union has also been recognized during this time by
Peterson’s Competitive College Guide, the Time/Princeton Review,
and Templeton’s Colleges that Encourage Character Development.
Union has on three occasions received the President's Higher Education Community Service Award.
Union has been listed among America's Colleges of Distinction and also
as one of America's Top 100 College Buys. This past year Union was listed among
USNWR Up and Coming 70 universities in the country to watch (and #4 in the South).
Union was ranked third in the South in the category of retention rates and ranked
second in the South "where the faculty has an unusual commitment to undergraduate teaching."
The university has
added several new degree programs including undergraduate majors in
digital media studies, engineering, physics, sports medicine, political
science, and ethics,
among others, and graduate programs in intercultural studies,
Christian studies, nursing, social work, education, and pharmacy. Four doctoral programs
have been started. Faculty
development programs have been greatly enhanced and the breadth of student
services has been visibly increased. A new campus master plan has seen
the addition of several new residence complexes, the Miller Tower, Jennings Hall, White Hall,
Hammons Hall, the Fesmire baseball/softball complex, Fesmire Athletic Fieldhouse,
a soccer complex, the Grant Events Center, and the new Bowld Student Commons Building. A branch
campus was established in Germantown, TN in 1997, which offers programs in
education, business, nursing, and Christian studies. A similar program recently has been launched in Hendersonville, TN.
The annual budget has increased from less than $20 million to approximately $70 million.
Dockery is the author or
editor of thirty books including Renewing Minds,
Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal, Biblical Interpretation Then and Now,
Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, and the Holman Bible Handbook. In addition he
has contributed to over forty other volumes.
He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and book reviews.
A much sought after speaker on issues
of higher education and cultural issues, Dockery has been invited to
present lectures at numerous colleges, universities, and seminaries across
the country. He has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe,
The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Post,
The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
The Washington Times, The Tennessean,
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,
The Birmingham News,
The Courier-Journal (Louisville), The Baltimore Sun,
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Religion News Service, Bloomberg.com,
Forbes.com, Fox.com,
and several denominational publications, among others. His articles have been published in
Touchstone, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, and a number
of other publications.
He has been interviewed on several national networks: CNN, NBC, ABC,
MSNBC, FOX, and numerous local/regional television channels; along with national radio interviews on
ABC, FOX, NPR, Moody, Salem, AFR, and others.
In 2002 Dockery was named a
Distinguished Alumnus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and also was named Jackson's Man of the Year in 2008.
He serves on the board of
directors of several civic groups and local foundations. Dockery has
served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council for Christian
Colleges and Universities, as well as the Council for Global Education.
He serves on the Board of Reference of Prison Fellowship and
has served on the board of Christianity Today
where he also serves as a consulting editor. He has served as editor of the New American Commentary Series (B&H) and is the
General Editor of the forthcoming series on Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition (Crossway).
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in
1952, Dockery holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and
masters degrees from Grace
Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Texas
Christian University. He holds the Ph.D. in Humanities from the University
of Texas system. Dockery and his wife, Lanese, have three married sons and one grandchild.
Major Lectureships:
- Spell Lectures, Mississippi College
- Page Lectures, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Christ and Culture Lectures, California Baptist University
- Day-Higginbotham Lectures, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Founders’ Day Lecture, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Convocation Address, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Keynote Address, Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Keynote Address, The International Mission Board Communications Symposium
- Hester Lectures, The Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools
- Powell Lectures, Florida Baptist College
- Dimension Lectures, Gardner-Webb University
- Hobbs Lectures, Oklahoma Baptist University (twice)
- Keynote Address, Consortium for Global Education
- Whitesides Preaching Lectures, Erskine College and Seminary
- Theological Fellowship Lecture, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
- Torrey Lectures, Biola University (prepared but not able to deliver in person)
- Contemporary Issues Lectures, Biola University/Talbot Seminary
- Alabama Baptist Leadership Summit Keynote Address
- TACL Conference Keynote Address
- Convocation, Houston Baptist University
- Convocation, Beeson Divinity School
Major Conference/Special Event Speaker:
- Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
- Azusa Pacific University
- Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
- Wheaton College
- Baylor University
- New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
- University of Mobile
- American Academy of Ministry, Princeton University
- Hannibal LaGrange College
- Free Will Baptist College
- Institute for the Study of Protestantism and American Culture
- Dallas Theological Seminary
- Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
- Anderson College
- Oklahoma Chrisitian University
- Louisiana College
- Grace College and Seminary
- Palm Beach Atlantic University
- The Southern Baptist Convention
- Numerous State Baptist Conventions
- Among Others
Visiting Professor:
- Anglican School of Theology/University of Dallas
- Moscow Theological Institute
- Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
- Grace College and Seminary
Books (Authored)
- The Doctrine of the Bible (Nashville:
Convention Press, 1991; reprint, Nashville: Seminary Extension, 1998).
- La Doctrina de La Bibla, translated by Miguel
A. Mesias (Nashville: Convention, 1992).
- Biblical Interpretation Then and Now (Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1992, reprint 2000).
- Seeking the Kingdom: The Sermon on the Mount Made
Practical, co-authored with David E. Garland (Wheaton: Harold
Shaw, 1992).
- Christian Scripture: An Evangelical Perspective on
Inspiration, Authority, and Interpretation (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1995). Also translated into Romanian.
- Ephesians: One Body in Christ (Nashville:
Convention, 1996).
- Efesios: Un Cuerpo en Cristo (Nashville:
Convention, 1996).
- Our Christian Hope: Bible Answers to Questions
About the Future (Nashville: Lifeway Press, 1998)
- Basic Christian Beliefs (Shepherd's Notes
Series; Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1999).
- Holman Guide to Interpreting the Bible
with George Guthrie (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2004).
- Building Bridges
with Timothy George (Nashville: Convention Press, 2007)
- Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through
Christian Higher Education (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2007; Second Edition 2008)
- Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal: A Biblical, Historical and
Theological Proposal (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2008)
- View More in the Union Book Project
Books (Edited)
- Baptist Theologians, co-editor and contributor
with Timothy George (Nashville: Broadman, 1990) chapter on
"Millard J. Erickson."
- Revell Bible Dictionary, consulting editor
(Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1990).
- People of God: Essays on the Believers' Church,
co-editor with Paul Basden (Nashville: Broadman, 1991).
- New Testament Criticism and Interpretation,
co-editor and contributor with David Alan Black (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1991) chapter on "The History of New Testament
Interpretation."
- Beyond the Impasse?: Scripture, Interpretation,
and Theology in Baptist Life, co-editor with Robison B. James
(Nashville: Broadman, 1992) chapter on "A People of the Book: The
Crisis of Biblical Authority Today."
- Holman Bible Handbook, general editor and
contributor (Nashville: Holman, 1992) sections on "Pauline
Letters," "History of Biblical Interpretation,"
"Christian Faith and the Christian Community," and "The
Lord's Supper."
- The Concise Bible Dictionary, consulting
editor (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1992).
- Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps and
Reconstructions, contributing editor (Nashville: Holman, 1993).
- Southern Baptists and American Evangelicals: The
Conversation Continues, editor and contributor (Nashville:
Broadman, 1993) chapters on "Introduction to Southern Baptists
and American Evangelicals" and "Evangelical Responses to
Southern Baptists."
- Foundations for Biblical Interpretation,
co-editor and contributor with Robert B. Sloan and Kenneth A. Mathews
(Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1994) chapter on "The Study and
Interpretation of the Bible."
- The Challenge of Postmodernism: An Evangelical
Engagement, editor and contributor
(Grand Rapids: Baker/BridgePoint, 1995, revised edition 2001)
chapter on "The Challenge of Postmodernism."
- The Best of A. T. Robertson, compiler
(Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1996).
- New Dimensions in Evangelical Theology: Essays in
Honor of Millard J. Erickson, editor (Downers Grove: InterVarsity,
1998). Chapter on "Millard J. Erickson."
- Holman Concise Bible Commentary, general
editor (Nashville: B&H Publishing,
1998). Section on the "Pauline Epistles."
Translated into Spanish.
- The Integration of Faith and Learning: A Basic
Bibliography, editor and compiler (1998).
- The Future of Christian Higher Education,
co-editor with David P. Gushee (B&H Publishing, 1999). Chapters
on "The Future of Christian Higher Education: An
Introduction," "The Great Commandment As a Paradigm for
Christian Higher Education," "The Role of Professional
Education in Christian Higher Education," and "The Grandeur
of God and Real Education: A Strategy for Integrating Faith in a
Post-Christian Culture."
- New Testament Interpretation, co-edited with
David Alan Black (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2000). Chapter on
the History of New Testament Interpretation.
- Theologians of the Baptist Tradition,
co-edited with Timothy George (Nashville: B&H Publishing,
2001). Chapters on John A. Broadus, A.T. Robertson, and Hershel Hobbs.
- Shaping a Christian Worldview, co-edited with
Greg Thornbury (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2002). Chapter
on Shaping a Christian Worldview.
- John A. Broadus: A Living Legacy, co-edited with Roger Duke (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2008).
Chapter on "Mighty in the Scriptures."
- Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009).
Chapter on "Southern Baptists in the 21st Century."
- Handbook on Christian Leadership (Nashville: B&H Publishing, forthcoming).
- View More in the Union Book Project
- Contributor to over forty books and author of nearly one hundred articles in various journals and periodicals.
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