David Dockery

President David S. Dockery, Union University

David S. Dockery (born 1952, Tuscaloosa, Alabama) is the 15th president of Trinity International University, a Christian university located in Deerfield, Illinois.^[1] His presidency was announced on February 28, 2014. He began serving as acting president on June 1, and officially assumed the TIU presidency after affirmation by the conference of the Evangelical Free Church of America. Formerly he served as the 15th president of Union University, which has been listed among the top tier regional institutions in the South each since 1997.^[2] by U.S. News and World Report. Dockery is author or editor of more than 35 books, including: Renewing Minds, Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal, Biblical Interpretation Then and Now, Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, and the Holman Bible Handbook. His articles have been published in Touchstone, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, and numerous other publications. In addition, he has contributed chapters or articles to more than 40 other publications.^[3]

He was elected December 8, 1995, and the university increased in student enrollment from 1,975 in the fall of 1996 to 4,259 in the fall of 2012, representing 15 consecutive years of increased enrollment.^[4]

Quotations from Dockery have appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Washington Times, The Tennessean, The Commercial Appeal (Memphis), The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Courier-Journal (Louisville), The Baltimore Sun, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Religion News Service, Bloomberg.com, Forbes.com, Fox.com, and several denominational publications, among others.^[5]

He has been interviewed on several national networks: CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, FOX, and numerous local/regional television channels; along with national radio interviews on ABC, FOX, NPR, Moody, Salem, AFR, and others.^[6]

Dockery has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.^[7] He also served as Chair for the Consortium for Global Education ^[8] and on the boards of Christianity Today International ^[9] and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, among other local and national entities.

On January 15, 2013, Dockery announced he would begin the transition process from university president to the role of university chancellor.^[10]

Dockery was formally installed^[11] as president of Trinity International University on October 23, 2014. In his first year at Trinity, Dockery led work on a new strategic plan called "Heritage and Hope: Trinity 2023",^[12] which the Board of Regents passed unanimously on February 27, 2015.

Education

• University of Alabama-Birmingham - Bachelor's degree
• Grace Theological Seminary - Master's degree
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - Master's degree
• Texas Christian University - Master's degree
• University of Texas system - Ph.D. in Humanities

Personal life

Dockery and his wife, Lanese, have three married sons and six grandchildren.

Works

Books authored

• The Doctrine of the Bible (Nashville: Convention Press, 1991; reprint, Nashville: Seminary Extension, 1998).
• Biblical Interpretation Then and Now (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992, reprint 2000).
• Seeking the Kingdom: The Sermon on the Mount Made Practical, co-authored with David E. Garland (Wheaton: Harold Shaw, 1992).
• Christian Scripture: An Evangelical Perspective on Inspiration, Authority, and Interpretation (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1995). Also translated into Romanian.
• Ephesians: One Body in Christ (Nashville: Convention, 1996).
• Our Christian Hope: Bible Answers to Questions About the Future (Nashville: Lifeway Press, 1998)
• Basic Christian Beliefs (Shepherd's Notes Series; Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1999).
• Holman Guide to Interpreting the Bible, with George H. Guthrie (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2004).
• Building Bridges, with Timothy George (Nashville: Convention Press, 2007)
• Renewing Minds: Serving Church and Society Through Christian Higher Education (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2007; Second Edition 2008)
• Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Proposal (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2008)
• Ecclesiastes (Nashville: Lifeway Press, 2011)
• The Great Tradition of Christian Thinking, with Timothy George (Wheaton: Crossway, 2012)

Books edited

• Baptist Theologians, co-editor and contributor with Timothy George (Nashville: Broadman, 1990) chapter on "Millard J. Erickson."
• Revell Bible Dictionary, consulting editor (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1990).
• People of God: Essays on the Believers' Church, co-editor with Paul Basden (Nashville: Broadman, 1991).
• New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, co-editor and contributor with David Alan Black (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991) chapter on "The History of New Testament Interpretation."
• Beyond the Impasse?: Scripture, Interpretation, and Theology in Baptist Life, co-editor with Robison B. James (Nashville: Broadman, 1992) chapter on "A People of the Book: The Crisis of Biblical Authority Today."
• Holman Bible Handbook, general editor and contributor (Nashville: Holman, 1992) sections on "Pauline Letters," "History of Biblical Interpretation," "Christian Faith and the Christian Community," and "The Lord's Supper."
• The Concise Bible Dictionary, consulting editor (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1992).
• Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps and Reconstructions, contributing editor (Nashville: Holman, 1993).
• Southern Baptists and American Evangelicals: The Conversation Continues, editor and contributor (Nashville: Broadman, 1993) chapters on "Introduction to Southern Baptists and American Evangelicals" and "Evangelical Responses to Southern Baptists."
• Foundations for Biblical Interpretation, co-editor and contributor with Robert B. Sloan and Kenneth A. Mathews (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1994) chapter on "The Study and Interpretation of the Bible."
• The Challenge of Postmodernism: An Evangelical Engagement, editor and contributor (Grand Rapids: Baker/BridgePoint, 1995, revised edition 2001) chapter on "The Challenge of Postmodernism."
• The Best of A. T. Robertson, compiler (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1996).
• New Dimensions in Evangelical Theology: Essays in Honor of Millard J. Erickson, editor (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1998). Chapter on "Millard J. Erickson."
• Holman Concise Bible Commentary, general editor (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1998). Section on the "Pauline Epistles." Translated into Spanish.
• The Integration of Faith and Learning: A Basic Bibliography, editor and compiler (1998).
• The Future of Christian Higher Education, co-editor with David P. Gushee (B&H Publishing, 1999). Chapters on "The Future of Christian Higher Education: An Introduction," "The Great Commandment As a Paradigm for Christian Higher Education," "The Role of Professional Education in Christian Higher Education," and "The Grandeur of God and Real Education: A Strategy for Integrating Faith in a Post-Christian Culture."
• New Testament Interpretation, co-edited with David Alan Black (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2000). Chapter on the History of New Testament Interpretation.
• Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, co-edited with Timothy George (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2001). Chapters on John A. Broadus, A.T. Robertson, and Hershel Hobbs.
• Shaping a Christian Worldview, co-edited with Greg Thornbury (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2002). Chapter on Shaping a Christian Worldview.
• John A. Broadus: A Living Legacy, co-edited with Roger Duke (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2008). Chapter on "Mighty in the Scriptures."
• Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future (Wheaton: Crossway, 2009). Chapter on "Southern Baptists in the 21st Century."
• Christian Leadership Essentials, editor (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2011)
• Southern Baptists, Evangelicals and the Future of Denominationalism, editor (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2011)
• Faith and Learning: A Handbook for Christian Higher Education, editor (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 2012)

References