D. Jeffrey Bingham accepts position of interim president

D. Jeffrey Bingham has accepted the position of interim president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bingham has served as dean of the School of Theology at Southwestern since 2016, having previously served as assistant dean for theological studies and professor of historical theology at the seminary from 2002-2003. 

“I am humbled and honored to be asked to serve Southwestern Seminary in the capacity of interim president,” Bingham says. “May I please request that the Southwestern Seminary family and the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention faithfully pray for Dr. and Mrs. Patterson, Southwestern’s administration, the trustee transition committee, and me in the months ahead as we collectively work together in unity and love during this transition period. Jesus remains on His throne, and Southwestern Seminary remains faithful to its commitment to Preach the Word and Reach the World.”

In addition to his service at Southwestern, Bingham has held multiple positions at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS). He also served as associate dean of biblical and theological studies as well as professor of theology at Wheaton College prior to accepting the deanship at Southwestern.

Bingham completed his undergraduate work at New Mexico State University and his post-graduate work at DTS, earning both a master of theology (1986) and Ph.D. (1995). Additionally, he was ordained at Arlington Bible Church in Arlington, Texas, in 1986.

Bingham’s academic specialties are patristic theology, history of the reception of the Bible, history of biblical interpretation, second-century Christianity, and Irenaeus. His published works include Irenaeus’ Use of Matthew’s Gospel in Adversus Haereses and Pocket History of the Church. He also served as editor of The Bible in Ancient Christianityand associate editor of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.

Former president of the Southwest Region of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), Bingham also served as section chair of the “History of Interpretation” section of SBL and section chair of the “Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Christianity” section of SBL International. Other past positions include president of the Southwest Commission on Religious Studies, director of the Southwest Seminar on the development of early Catholic Christianity, and vice president of the North American Patristics Society (NAPS). He was president of NAPS in 2017.