J. Todd Billings

Bio

After growing up as a Baptist in McPherson, KS, I attended Wheaton College in Illinois for my B.A., entering as a Christian Education major and ending with majors in Philosophy and English. During my senior year, my love for Christian ministry was ignited during a six month immersion trip doing community development work in Uganda. This was further confirmed after teaching at a theological school in Ethiopia for a year after graduation. So I scrapped my plans for a Ph.D. in philosophy and went to seminary instead.

I attended Fuller Theological Seminary for my Master of Divinity degree. While I was appreciative of many of the professors at Fuller, two that had a particular impact were: Miroslav Volf and John L. Thompson. Volf ended up being my first theological mentor and guide, and I worked as a Teaching Assistant for him at Fuller. Studying with John Thompson instilled in me a love for historical theology, the history of biblical exegesis, and Reformed theology.

After Fuller, I decided to continue on for a doctorate in theology. I attended Harvard Divinity School, working with a variety of professors there. My advisor for this time was Sarah Coakley, who was an excellent teacher and guide in historical as well as systematic theology. At Harvard, I grew in my appreciation of the depth and breadth of the historic Christian tradition, as well as in my engagement with contemporary theological movements, such as the theological interpretation of scripture. In Harvard’s diverse context, ecumenical aspects of my identity where accented, but I also found myself growing deeper into the Reformed tradition. While a doctoral student, I continued to serve in Christian ministry in various forms. I was active as an elder in a congregation that belongs to Presbyterian Church USA, and I served on staff for five years at First Church [Homeless] Shelter in Cambridge, MA.

Since 2005, I have been on the faculty at Western Theological Seminary, in Holland, MI. I am delighted to serve at Western, which is a sacramentally-minded school in the Reformed tradition. It draws its identity from the synergy of being evangelical, ecumenical, and Reformed.

Since coming to Western, I have served the Reformed Church in America in various capacities. In 2007, I became an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America. In 2009, my wife and I served as missionaries to Ethiopia with the Reformed church.

I have also published a number of articles and three books, Calvin, Participation, and the Gift, which won a 2009 Templeton Award for Theological Promise; The Word of God for the People of God, winner of the 2011 Book Prize from the Center for Catholic-Evangelical Dialogue; and Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church.

I am married to Rachel M. Billings, who holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament from Harvard University. We are blessed with two lively children, and a very relaxed Welsh Corgi.

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