- Dallas Theological Seminary
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Dallas Theological Seminary Established 1924 Type Evangelical Seminary Chancellor Dr. Charles Swindoll President Dr. Mark Bailey Academic staff 120 (Fall 2008)[1] Students 2,012 (Spring 2010)[1] Doctoral students 88 (Spring 2010)[1] Location Dallas, Texas, USA Affiliations Non-denominational Website www.dts.edu 
Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) is an evangelical theological seminary located in Dallas, Texas. It is known for popularizing the theological system known as Dispensationalism. DTS has extension campuses in Atlanta, Austin, Guatemala, Houston, Knoxville, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Tampa and a multi-lingual online education program.
Contents
History
DTS was founded as Evangelical Theological College in 1924 by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, who taught the first class of 13 students, and William Henry Griffith Thomas,[2][3] who was to have been the school's first theology professor but died before the first classes began. Their vision was a school where expository Bible preaching was taught simply, and under Chafer's leadership, DTS pioneered one of the first four-year degrees in theology, the Master of Theology (Th.M.). The present location of the school was purchased in 1926 and Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) programs were started in 1927.[4] Chafer remained president until his death in 1952.
Early edition of Bibliotheca Sacra
DTS has continually published a quarterly entitled Bibliotheca Sacra since 1934. In 1983, a complete collection of "Bib Sac" articles was published as a book commemorating fifty years of the journal.[5]
Dr. John F. Walvoord, himself a graduate, took over as president after Chafer's death in 1952. In 1974, DTS added a two-year Master of Arts (MA) program in biblical studies, and in 1982, a two-year program in Christian Education was begun. In addition to these, a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) program was opened in 1980. Walvoord retired as DTS president in 1986.[3]
From 1986 to 1994, Dr. Donald K. Campbell served as president of DTS. During his tenure, DTS opened a three-year MA program in Biblical Counseling and a two-year MA program in Biblical exegesis and linguistics.[3]
DTS graduate Dr. Chuck Swindoll was then president of the school from 1994 to 2001, and now serves as the school's Chancellor. Since 2001, Dr. Mark Bailey has served as president.[3] Under Bailey's tenure, the seminary added a two-year MA program in media and communication, a Spanish D.Min. program, and a multi-lingual online education program.
As of Fall 2007, DTS has nearly 12,000 alumni serving in various ministerial capacities in 97 countries worldwide.[1]
Accreditation
DTS was accredited in 1969 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and in 1994 by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.[6]
The school is also a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), the Evangelical Training Association (ETA), the Jerusalem University College, and the Institute of Theological Studies (ITS).[6]
Theology
1993 reprint of Chafer's Systematic TheologyDTS is known as a center of modern Dispensational teaching[7][8][9][10][11] due to Dr. Chafer's development of a systematic theology which approaches the Bible with a "premillennial, dispensational interpretation of the Scriptures."[2] His eight-volume work describing this approach to theology, Systematic Theology, was first published in 1948 and is still a required textbook for some courses at DTS.[2]
Notable theological beliefs of the school include: premillennialism, dispensationalism, and Biblical inerrancy. The faculty, while still subscribing to dispensationalism, represents varying perspectives reflecting the development that occurred in that school of thought in the last few decades of the twentieth century. The school considers itself non-denominational within Protestantism, and has classes in every one of the 66 books of the Bible.[6]
Notable alumni and faculty
In a 2009 study conducted by LifeWay Research, Protestant pastors named preachers who had most influenced them. Three DTS alumni were among the top ten: Chuck Swindoll ('63), founder of radio broadcast Insight for Living; David Jeremiah ('67), founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries; and Andy Stanley ('85), founder of North Point Ministries.[12][13] Other notable individuals associated with the seminary include:
- Alumni
- Gregory Beale, former president of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Michael J. Easley, former president of Moody Bible Institute
- Tony Evans, widely-syndicated radio broadcaster
- Arnold Fruchtenbaum, founder and director of Ariel Ministries
- David Klingler, former NFL player and current director of DTS' Houston extension campus
- Hal Lindsey, author of The Late, Great Planet Earth
- Duane Litfin, former president of Wheaton College
- J. Vernon McGee, founder of "Thru the Bible Radio Network" program
- Scott O'Grady, pilot whose story formed the basis for Behind Enemy Lines
- Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Life
- Kenneth N. Taylor, creator of the The Living Bible and the founder of Tyndale House
- Bruce Wilkinson, founder of Walk Thru the Bible and the popular but highly controversial book, The Prayer of Jabez
- Faculty (past and present)
- Darrell Bock, Research Professor of New Testament
- John D. Hannah, Scholar of Reformation Theology
- Howard Hendricks
- Zane C. Hodges
- Harold Hoehner, Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies
- Eugene Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies
- J. Dwight Pentecost
- Charles Caldwell Ryrie
- Merrill Unger, Professor of Old Testament Studies
- Daniel B. Wallace, Prolific Textual critic and Greek grammarian
- Bruce Waltke, Professor of Old Testament Studies
- John F. Walvoord
References
- ^ a b c d DTS.edu statistical information.
- ^ a b c DTS Library Celebrating 80 years.
- ^ a b c d DTS A Brief History.
- ^ DTS Historical Milestones.
- ^ Fifty Years of Bib Sac listing at Amazon.com
- ^ a b c DTS Accreditation
- ^ The Founders. Summer 1992.
- ^ Baptist Bible College May 1999.
- ^ Second Blessing Models of Sanctification and Early Dallas Dispensationalism. The Master's Seminary Journal, Spring 2004.
- ^ Dallas Observer. February 9, 2006
- ^ Monergism.com October 2005.
- ^ Phillips, Rob. "LifeWay Research: Protestant pastors name Graham most influential living preacher". LifeWay Research. http://www.lifeway.com/article/170048/.
- ^ Alumni Office. "Top Ten Most Influential Living Preachers List includes Three DTS Alumni". DTS. https://alumni.dts.edu/publicposts/viewpost.aspx?PostID=13992.
External links
- Dallas Theological Seminary - home page
- DTS Faculty - current faculty members
- Association of Theological Schools listing for DTS
Categories:- Christianity in Texas
- Evangelical seminaries and theological colleges
- Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Seminaries and theological colleges in Texas
- Universities and colleges in Dallas, Texas
- Educational institutions established in 1924
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