NASHVILLE (ERLC/SBTS) — The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention announced Monday the launch of a new Research Institute under the direction of its president, Russell D. Moore, and the appointment of an array of new scholars and professionals as research fellows, including 16 faculty and doctoral students at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
“The aim of the Research Institute is to be a catalyst to connect the agenda of the gospel to the complex questions of the day—and to do so at the highest levels of academic scholarship for the good of local congregations,” said Moore. “I am thrilled to get to work together with an exceptionally gifted band of scholars and leaders as we seek to be a persuasive, prophetic witness engaging the academy and equipping the church.
The idea of a Research Institute has a long history within the organization. A previous Research Institute was established by the organization in 1999. This new Research Institute and its fellows will assist the ERLC in its mission by producing a variety of materials to equip Southern Baptists and churches to engage ethical and cultural issues of the day.
The newly named fellows come from all six Southern Baptist seminaries, several Baptist colleges, private and public universities and other prominent institutions such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Center for Law and Justice.
ERLC Research Institute fellows include the following Southern Seminary faculty and doctoral students:
Senior Research Fellow
R. Albert Mohler Jr., president
Research Fellows
Randy L. Stinson, senior vice president for academic administration and provost
Owen Strachan, assistant professor of Christian theology and church history
Denny Burk, professor of biblical studies
James M. Hamilton Jr., associate professor of biblical theology
Dan DeWitt, dean of Boyce College
Hershael York, Victor and Louise Lester Professor of Christian Preaching
Heath Lambert, assistant professor of biblical counseling
Matthew J. Hall, vice president of academic services
Kenneth Magnuson, professor of Christian ethics
Mark T. Coppenger, professor of Christian apologetics
Associate Research Fellows
J.T. English, executive assistant to the president
Bryan Baise, assistant professor of worldview and apologetics
Andrew Walker, Ph.D. student
Daniel Patterson, Ph.D. student
Curtis Woods, Ph.D. student
Barrett Duke, the ERLC vice president for public policy and research, directs the Research Institute. Andrew Walker, the ERLC director of policy studies, serves as the Institute’s associate director.
The Research Institute will hold its annual meeting in conjunction with the ERLC National Conference at the Opryland Hotel October 27-29.
The complete list of newly named fellows is available at: erlc.com/institute.