Jon Zens is an American author, speaker, scholar and theologian on Christian topics. Zens is best known for pioneering

New Covenant Theology New Covenant theology (or NCT) is a Christian theology, Christian theological position teaching that the person and work of Jesus Christ is the central focus of the Bible. One distinctive assertion of this school of thought is that 613 Mitzvot, O ...

. Zens is also an expert on the

Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...

history and theology.

Early life and education

Zens holds a B.A. in Biblical studies from

Covenant College Covenant College is a private, liberal arts, Christian college in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, located near Chattanooga, Tennessee. As the college of the Presbyterian Church in America, Covenant teaches subjects from a Reformed theological wor ...

, a M.Div. from

Westminster Theological Seminary Westminster Theological Seminary is a Protestant theological seminary in the Reformed theological tradition in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It was founded by members of the faculty of Princeton Theological Seminary in 1929 after Princeton chose to t ...

, Philadelphia, and a D.Min. from the

California Graduate School of Theology The California Graduate School of Theology is an institution of higher learning in Garden Grove, California. History The California Graduate School of Theology was founded and chartered in the state of California in 1969 by William S. McBirnie, ...

Career

In 1975, Zens moved to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

to work with Norbert Ward on the publication ''Baptist Reformation Review''. Because of declining health, Norbert asked Zens to be the editor in 1978. In 1982, the name of the quarterly was changed to ''Searching Together''. The quarterly magazine features articles by Zens and many other writers on topics of divergent evangelicalism. Zens and his wife Dotty have ministered to women who have been trafficked into the sex trade, aiding women who have been the victims of sexual abuse and involved in prostitution. Zens served for a time as a local pastor, but left the position.House Church Resource: Jon Zens' Gradual Journey
/ref> becoming an author and a traveling speaker, ministering in church conferences and speaking at conferences about the rescue of women from the sex industry and prostitution.

Bibliography

*What's With Paul & Women: Unlocking the Cultural Background to 1 Timothy 2 *The Pastor Has No Clothes: Moving from Clergy-Centered Church to Christ-Centered Ekklesia *No Will of My Own: How Patriarchy Smothers Female Dignity & Personhood *A Church Building Every 1/2 Mile: What Makes American Christianity Tick? *Christ Minimized? A Response to Rob Bell's Love Wins *58-0: How Christ Leads Through the One Anothers

References

External links

Searching TogetherJon Zens WebsiteJon Zens on TwitterJon Zens Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zens, Jon Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American Christian writers American Christian theologians American Protestants Anti-prostitution activists in the United States