Welcome to episode fifty-eight of New Creation Conversations. In today’s conversation I’m honestly a bit overwhelmed to be joined by Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson. Luke is Candler School of Theology’s Robert W. Woodruff Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Christian Origins, Emory University’s most distinguished endowed chair. He is a graduate of Notre Dame Seminary. He has an MA degree from Indiana University, an MDiv from Saint Meinrad School of Theology, and a PhD from Yale University. He’s a noted scholar and an award-winning teacher – spending decades teaching and researching at Yale Divinity School, Indiana University, and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. His research centers on the literary, moral, and religious dimensions of the New Testament, including the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts of early Christianity, Luke-Acts, the Pastoral Letters, and the Letter of James.
A prolific author, Luke has authored over 30 books, more than 70 scholarly articles, and nearly 200 book reviews. Several of his books are widely used as textbooks in seminaries and departments of religion throughout the world. His most recent book is a wonderful memoir that reflects not only on his truly miraculous journey in faith and scholarship but also serves as a kind of guide for those coming after him about the virtues and disciplines necessary to live into the life of the faithful scholar. The book is entitled: The Mind in Another Place: My Life as a Scholar – just recently released from Eerdmans Publishing Company. I recently had a chance to travel for a week. I took the book with me and was so deeply encouraged about the providence of God in our lives but also with my deep passion and calling to keep the local church and the theological academy connected. It was such a joy to read about Luke’s life, but it was a great honor to get to talk to him about it. I could have spent two or three hours talking to him about his life and the significance of the scholarly vocation. I know that I will revisit this conversation again and again, and I hope you will be blessed by it as well.