Timothy C. Tennent (born September 24, 1959) is an American
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
who is the current president of
Asbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary is a Christian Wesleyan seminary in the historical Methodist tradition located in Wilmore, Kentucky. It is the largest seminary of the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. It is known for its advocacy of egalitarianism, giving ...
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of t ...
(1991), and a Ph.D. from the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
's
Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World
The Centre for the Study of World Christianity (CSWC) is a research centre based in New College, the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh. It was founded in the University of Aberdeen by Andrew F. Walls as the Centre for the Study ...
(1998), where his dissertation was on Indian theologianBrahmabandhab Upadhyay.
Tennent studied under Professor John Brockington, Dr James Cox, and Professor
Andrew Walls
Andrew Finlay Walls (21 April 192812 August 2021) was a British historian of missions, best known for his pioneering studies of the history of the African church and a pioneer in the academic field of World Christianity.
Biography
Walls was b ...
, and his research focused on the rapidly growing churches outside the West. His Ph.D. dissertation was revised and published in 2000 under the title ''Building Christianity on Indian Foundations''.
Tennent is also one of four graduates of a three-year mentoring in academic leadership program funded through a
Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...
grant.
Career
Tennent is an ordained elder (minister) in the
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
in the Kentucky Annual Conference. He is also a direct descendant of
William Tennent
William Tennent (1673 – May 6, 1746) was an early Scottish American Presbyterian minister and educator in British North America.
Early life
Tennent was born in Mid Calder, Linlithgowshire, Scotland, in 1673. He graduated from the Uni ...
, the founder of Log College, which was the precursor to
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
.
Tennent began his teaching career at Toccoa Falls College, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 1995. From 1998–2009, he served as professor of world missions and Indian studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in
South Hamilton
South Hamilton is a postal address assigned to ZIP code 01982 by the Postal Service and is part of the town of Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the Un ...
.
He was elected to his current post as president of Asbury Seminary on February 17, 2009, and his tenure began on July 1, 2009. Tennent succeeded Ellsworth Kalas as president of Asbury. He continues to serve as a visiting professor at the
Luther W. New Jr. Theological College
Luther W. New Jr. Theological College, known as NTC, is a private, accredited Christian seminary in Dehra Dun, India. It was founded in 1987 by George Kuruvila Chavanikamannil.Dehradun,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
where he has taught each summer since 1988.
In November 2009, Tennent signed an ecumenical statement known as the '' Manhattan Declaration'' calling on evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences.
Theology
Tennent has a
Wesleyan-Arminian
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...