Billy Jim Leonard (born 20 March 1946) is an American

historian of religion A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

. Bill Leonard was born on 20 March 1946 in Decatur, Texas to a salesman, Marvin R. Leonard, and his wife Lavelle, who worked as a secretary. After he turned ten, Leonard moved with his family to

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

. Leonard earned a bachelor of arts degree from Texas Wesleyan College in 1968, followed by a Master of Divinity at

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is a Baptist theological institute in Fort Worth, Texas. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. It was established in 1908 and is one of the largest seminaries in the world. It ...

in 1971. He then obtained a doctorate at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

in 1975. Leonard completed postdoctoral research at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He was raised a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

, and became an ordained minister. Between 1965 and 1972, Leonard was a youth minister at Northridge Baptist Church in

Mesquite, Texas Mesquite is a suburban city located east of the city of Dallas, Texas, in the United States. Most of the city is located in Dallas County, though a small portion extends into Kaufman County. As of 2019 census estimates, the population was ...

. He then led the First Community Church in

Southborough, Massachusetts Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps, though ...

from 1971 to 1975. He began teaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1975, was appointed William Walker Brookes Professor of American Christianity for 1990 and 1991, then left for Samford University in 1992. Concurrently, Leonard was on the faculty of

Berea College Berea College is a private liberal arts work college in Berea, Kentucky. Founded in 1855, Berea College was the first college in the Southern United States to be coeducational and racially integrated. Berea College charges no tuition; every a ...

between 1989 and 1995, including a stint as dean from 1991 to 1992. In May 1996, Leonard was appointed the founding dean of the

Wake Forest University School of Divinity Wake Forest University School of Divinity is an ecumenical divinity school located on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The School offers a Master of Divinity degree as welseveral joint degree programsin coope ...

. As dean, Leonard expressed support for LGBT students, and the schools inaugural class admitted in 1999 included a lesbian student. He retired as dean effect 30 June 2010, and was succeeded by Gail R. O'Day. In September 2011,

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

announced the creation of the James and Marilyn Dunn Chair of Baptist Studies. On 24 January 2012, Leonard formally assumed the named professorship. Since assuming the role, he has spoken at several educational institutions. He delivered Samford University's 2012 Ray Frank Robbins Lecture, the 2015 William James Lecture at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, as well as the 2017 William L. Self Preaching Lectures hosted by

Mercer University Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 s ...

's McAfee School of Theology. Leonard retired from teaching in May 2018 and was named Professor of Divinity Emeritus.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Bill J. 1946 births Living people People from Decatur, Texas People from Fort Worth, Texas 21st-century American male writers 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers 21st-century American historians American historians of religion Samford University faculty Texas Wesleyan University alumni Wake Forest University faculty Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni Boston University alumni Southern Baptist Theological Seminary faculty Berea College faculty Baptist ministers from the United States Baptists from Texas American university and college faculty deans Historians from Texas