John Samuel Feinberg (born April 2, 1946) is an American theologian, author, and professor of biblical and systematic theology. He is currently listed as Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology (retired) at
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) is an academic divinity school founded in 1897 and located in the northern Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois. It is part of and located on the main campus of Trinity International University. It� ...
in
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a north shore suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion extending into Cook County, Illinois. The population was 19,196 at the 2020 census. Deerfield is home to the headquarters of Walgreens Bo ...
. He is noted for his expertise in
theodicy
Theodicy () means vindication of God. It is to answer the question of why a good God permits the manifestation of evil, thus resolving the issue of the problem of evil. Some theodicies also address the problem of evil "to make the existence of ...
.
Background and education
Feinberg was born in 1946 to
Charles Lee and Anne Priscilla (Fraiman) Feinberg in Dallas, Texas. His family moved from
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
to
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1948 when his father became the first dean of
Talbot Theological Seminary. Feinberg earned his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
degree in English from the University of California at Los Angeles, his
Master of Theology
Master of Theology ( la, Theologiae Magister, abbreviated MTh, ThM, or MTheol) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a PhD program or as a sta ...
degree (1972) in systematic theology from Trinity, and his
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
(1971) and
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
(1979) degrees from the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
.
Feinberg lives in
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Vernon Hills is a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,850 at the 2020 census. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area ( Libertyville, Lake Forest, Long Grove, Lin ...
, with his wife Patricia, with whom he has three children. His brother
Paul David (1938 - 2004) also taught Systematic Theology and Philosophy of Religion at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for thirty years.
Career
In his early career, Feinberg served as a missionary in Los Angeles on staff for the
American Board of Missions to the Jews. He began his teaching career in 1969 at the Los Angeles Bible Training School in
Watts, California
Watts, California, was a city of the sixth class that existed in Los Angeles County, California, between 1907 and 1926, when it was consolidated with the City of Los Angeles and became one of the neighborhoods in the southern part of that city.
...
. Feinberg was ordained to ministry in 1971 and served as pastor of the Elmwood Park Bible Church in
Elmwood Park, Illinois
Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,521 at the 2020 census. The community has long maintained a large Italian-American population, with a more recent influx of Polish-American and Hispanic re ...
, from 1974 to 1976. He resumed teaching in 1976 at
Western Conservative Baptist Seminary
Western Seminary is an interdenominational Evangelical Christian seminary with campuses in Portland, Oregon; San Jose, California; and Sacramento, California. Western Seminary also has online-only degrees and programs and provides non-credit cla ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
, before moving in 1981 to teach at
Liberty Baptist Seminary and College in
Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1983, he joined the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
During the mid-1980s, Feinberg served on the national membership committee of the
Evangelical Theological Society
The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) is a professional society of Biblical scholars, educators, pastors, and students "devoted to the inerrancy and inspiration of the Scriptures and the gospel of Jesus Christ" and "dedicated to the oral exch ...
, and in 1985 served a term as president of the
Evangelical Philosophical Society. Since then, he has authored several books and serves as a theological consultant for the academic division of
Crossway Books
Crossway (previously known by its parent ministry Good News Publishers) is a not-for-profit evangelical Christian publishing ministry headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. Clyde and Muriel Dennis founded Good News Publishers in 1938, working out o ...
. He serves as general editor for the series ''Foundations of Evangelical Theology''.
In 2015 a ''
Festschrift
In academia, a ''Festschrift'' (; plural, ''Festschriften'' ) is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the h ...
'' was published in his honor. ''Building on the Foundations of Evangelical Theology: Essays in Honor of John S. Feinberg'' includes contributions from
Kevin Vanhoozer,
Bruce A. Ware, and
Walter Kaiser Jr.
Selected works
Books
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Edited by
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Chapters
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Articles
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Festschrift
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References
External links
TEDS faculty pageChristianCourses.com faculty page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Feinberg, John S.
1946 births
American Christian theologians
Jewish American writers
Jewish philosophers
Protestant philosophers
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
University of Chicago alumni
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School alumni
Liberty University faculty
Western Seminary
Living people
People from Vernon Hills, Illinois