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Peter grew up in Reno, NV and studied German (B.A.) and Theology (M.Div) in Seattle, WA. He worked briefly as an investment consultant in Austria before a stint with a church in South Africa. Since doctoral studies in Old Testament at Princeton Seminary, he has worked as a researcher and instructor in Hebrew Bible at the University of Zurich (Switzerland), though he now resides back in Reno, where he is deeply involved in nonprofit work with urban young adults. He does his best to take advantage of Reno’s sunny weather to play tennis and hike in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains. Peter’s research has focused around two topics: meals and economics. His dissertation appeared as “Festive Meals in Ancient Israel: (2011), which has been followed by publications on feasting, famine, and related topics. In “Economics in Persian-Period Biblical Texts” (2016) he investigates ancient economics, especially in the Persian period of Ezra and Nehemiah. He is branching out into a new area in a new project on views of the Law/Torah in Persian and Hellenistic-period Judean communities.
Jorella Andrews is Professor of Visual Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London. Having trained as a fine artist, and with a pre-academic background in video production and international television sales, her academic work examines relationships among philosophical inquiry, the image-world, and art practice particularly in terms of their impacts on lived experience. Key publications on these topics include ‘Interviewing Images: How Visual Research Using IPA (Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis) Can Illuminate the Change-Making Possibilities of Place, Space, and Dwelling (2020) and two monographs, The Question of Painting: Rethinking Thought with Merleau-Ponty and Showing Off! A Philosophy of Image (2018 and 2014, both Bloomsbury).
She is now writing a book exploring the role of aesthetics in the stewardship of public space which links her philosophical interests with her work-based civic engagement work. Alongside her curiosity in diverse aspects of twentieth-century and contemporary visual and material culture, Jorella has written on Dutch seventeenth-century art and on issues at the intersection of art and religion. Jorella advocates for visual culture and art history beyond academia. She is a Trustee of the Association for Art History, editor of the Visual Cultures as… series (Sternberg Press/MIT), and has written two art books for a general readership: This is Cézanne (2015) and This is Rembrandt (2016). In her spare time, Jorella co-facilitates a local faith-based arts forum with the artist Walter Hayn and is Chair of Albion Millennium Green Trust, which stewards a small, award-winning public green space in south-east London. She also continues to draw and make art. Jorella is a member of the KLC Arts Hub.
Jonathan Arnold currently serves as associate professor of theological studies at Cedarville University. Prior to arriving at Cedarville, he directed the research doctoral studies programs and designed and directed an undergraduate honors program at two different institutions of Christian higher education. His research and writing interests have focused on the early modern era of historical theology and the philosophical and theological foundations of teaching and learning. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford where he has been a visiting fellow at the Oxford Centre for Baptist Studies. He also serves as a fellow of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, a member of the Scripture and the University Seminar, and part of the Hub for Innovative Pedagogy.
Bruce Riley Ashford is a professor, speaker, columnist, speech writer, and political consultant. He is a columnist for First Things Magazine and is the author or co-author of nine books, including The Doctrine of Creation (IVP, 2020), The Gospel of Our King (Baker, 2019), Letters to an American Christian (B&H, 2018), One Nation Under God: A Christian Hope for American Politics (B&H, 2015), and Every Square Inch: An Introduction to Cultural Engagement for Christians (Lexham, 2015). You can find out more at bruceashford.net.
Rev Dr Richard E. Averbeck (Dick) is a Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, USA. In his retirement he continues to speak and teach around the world, but is focusing his time on research and writing in the fields of Old Testament, biblical theology, ANE cuneiform studies, and spiritual formation. He is also part of the content team for The Eden Project. Richard is also a licensed professional counselor and leads a regular Bible study in his local church. He is married to Melinda and they have two sons and two grandsons. His book The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church: Reading the Torah in the Light of Christ was published by IVP in 2022. Richard is currently writing a commentary on Genesis and writing and editing essays for various multiple author volumes. Melinda and Dick enjoy living in southern Wisconsin and spending time with their sons and grandsons and good Christian friends.
David Ball is the retired chairman of DB Group Holdings Ltd which he founded in 1970. He was widely involved in business and commerce, notably as a member of the Concrete Society, the British Standards Institution and the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Green Concrete Committee, and acted as advisor to several Engineering societies. His varied interests outside of commerce led to David contributing to education as a Trustee/ Director of Westcott House, Cambridge (2010-2015) and the Founding Governor of Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge; serving as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Technical Committee, on Historic Church trusts and as Chairman of Cambridge Philharmonic Society – and founding a radio station in Cambridge. David is a minister in the Church of England and a trustee of a number of boards and institutions, including the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology.
Otto Bam is a musician, writer and researcher born and raised in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He is the Arts Manager for the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology and editor of ArtWay.eu. Otto holds an MA in English Studies from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, as well as an MSc in Religion and Literature from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He lives in Cambridge and works at the KLC offices at Chesterton Mill.
Richard is a biblical scholar and theologian. His academic work and publications have ranged over many areas of these subjects, including the theology of Jürgen Moltmann, Christology (both New Testament and systematic), eschatology, the New Testament books of Revelation, James, 2 Peter and Jude, Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature, the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, the New Testament Apocrypha, the relatives of Jesus, the early Jerusalem church, the Bible and contemporary issues, and biblical and theological approaches to environmental issues. Until 2007 he was Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. He retired early in order to concentrate on research and writing, and moved to Cambridge.
Rainer is married to Bianca and originally from Ostwestfalen (East-Westfalia), his mother being from Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) – therefore, identity issues are not unfamiliar to him … After studying theology in Krelingen, Münster and Gießen he worked for five years as assistant pastor in the Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen in his hometown of Minden. About 20 years ago he did his PhD in New Testament Studies in Cheltenham. In 2002 he started to work as pastor of Chrischona-Gemeinde Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, at the Lake Constance. Since 2020 he is pastor of Christliche Gemeinschaft Hamburg-Altona. Rainer translated and edited several of the main works by N. T. Wright into German. His passion is bridging the worlds of the academy and the church. He is part of the support team of Urban Mosaic which is about the transformation of fragile cities into Shalom cities (see www.urbanmosaic.net).
Dave Beldman is professor of biblical studies (Old Testament) at Missional Training Center. He also serves as a scholar in residence for the Surge Network. He has published extensively on the Old Testament book of Judges, including a commentary (Eerdmans), a monograph (Eisenbrauns), and a short theological introduction for a popular audience (Lexham). He has also done research and writing on Old Testament wisdom. His current project (co-authored with Dru Johnson) is an introductory textbook on the Pentateuch (Baker Academic). Prior to embarking on his academic journey, David did an apprenticeship in the electrical trade and became a journeyman electrician. He has never abandoned his love for working with his hands, and uses them in his spare time to work on vintage motorcycles, among other things. David loves art and music, old things, podcasts, the outdoors and travel, film and fiction, and good food. David resides in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Elsie, and their four kids.
Steve is an independent researcher based in Wales, UK. He maintains the neo-Calvinist website www.allofliferedeemed.co.uk. He is a trustee of Thinking Faith Network. He earned his doctorate at the North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa (2019), supervised by Renato Coletto. He is the co-editor of On Kuyper: A Collection of Readings on the Life, Work & Legacy of Abraham Kuyper (Dordt Press, 2013).
Dr. Bock has earned recognition as a Humboldt Scholar (Tübingen University in Germany), is the author of over 40 books, including well-regarded commentaries on Luke and Acts and studies of the historical Jesus, and work in cultural engagement as host of the seminary’s Table Podcasts. He was president of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) from 2000 to 2001, served as a consulting editor for Christianity Today, and serves on the boards of Wheaton College and Chosen People Ministries. His articles appear in leading publications. He is often an expert for the media on NT issues. Dr. Bock has been a New York Times best-selling author in nonfiction; serves as a staff consultant for Bent Tree Fellowship Church in Carrollton, TX; and is elder emeritus at Trinity Fellowship Church in Dallas. When traveling overseas, he will tune into the current game involving his favorite teams from Houston—live—even in the wee hours of the morning. Married for over 40 years to Sally, he is a proud father of two daughters and a son and is also a grandfather.
Jon Boyd is associate publisher and academic editorial director at InterVarsity Press, where he has served since 2012. He is also the saxophonist in an improvisational rock band, a user of mechanical typewriters and postage stamps, and (with his wife, their daughters, and their cats) a resident of the City of Chicago. He previously worked at North Park University, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and Encyclopædia Britannica. He holds a PhD in history from the Johns Hopkins University, an MA in Old Testament from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a BA in history from the University of Michigan.
Brett is a son of the east Texas Pineywoods, Andrea’s husband, and a father of two daughters, Elizabeth (Ellie) Grace and Emery Joy. A graduate of Regent College, he serves as a director of spiritual formation in Dallas, Texas. Brett is an apprentice in the craft of writing, seeking to be grateful enough for precious things to write well what needs to be written.
Ryan A. Brandt is Professor of Christian History and Theology at Grand Canyon University. He also serves as managing editor of the Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies. Previously, he taught philosophy and theology at both Christian and secular colleges in Kentucky and Indiana. He is an editor and contributor for the books, Spiritual Formation for the Global Church: A Multi-Denominational, Multi-Ethnic Approach (IVP Academic, 2021) and Theological Interpretation of Scripture as Spiritual Formation (Brill, 2023). He also edited and contributed to volumes and special issues with several journals. His current research interests include spiritual formation, the beatific vision and theosis, contemplation, and theological interpretation of Scripture. He is a member of the Scripture and University Seminar (KLC Scripture Collective). In addition to theological research, he loves gardening, watching baseball and basketball, and astronomy. His wife, Laura, is an architectural-mechanical engineer, and they have two children, Evelyn and Aliya.
Susan grew up on the Space Coast of Florida, loving science and the beach. After serving a short time in the secular profession of Systems Analyst, she was called into ordained ministry as an Anglican Priest. Alongside hands-on parish ministry, she continued academic interests including a post-graduate degree in Anglican Studies, a DMin in Spiritual Formation, and a PhD in Sacramental Theology. After serving in a number of parishes and universities, she has served as the Dean of the Center for Anglican Theology since 2012. Her published books are in both the academic field of Eucharistic Theology, and the practical field of Pastoral Care. She continues to write in both arenas for the Church and for the Academy. As the vision statement of the Center says, she is committed to keeping faith deeply rooted in Scripture, and keeping study deeply rooted in faith. She is also committed to practical applications of Scriptural spirituality, including issues of stewardship and animal welfare.
AJ leads data and evaluation for Leading on Opportunity, an initiative of Foundation for the Carolinas aimed at advancing economic mobility in his hometown, Charlotte, NC, USA. He holds a master’s in public policy from the University of Chicago, a bachelor’s in urban studies from Furman University, and is a two-time Fulbright Scholarship recipient. Currently, he is completing a master’s at Reformed Theological Seminary where his studies explore the intersections of Reformed theology, urban space, economic justice, and hospitality. He’s a member of KLC’s Economics Research Hub.
Andrew Campbell is Rector of St Patrick’s Broughshane (Parish of Skerry, Rathcavan and Newtowncrommlin) in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor. He holds degrees in Ancient History, Byzantine Studies and Theology. In 2017 he was awarded a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast for his research on Nonviolent Atonement Theology under the supervision of Stephen N. Williams. He has served the wider Church of Ireland in various ways, including as visiting lecturer in Anglican Dogmatics at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute. He continues his research into atonement theology, including its relationship to broader topics of justice, violence and sacrifice. Andrew is married to Allison; they have two children, Henry and Charlotte.
Julie Canlis holds a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is the author of Calvin’s Ladder (2010, Templeton Prize) and A Theology of the Ordinary (2017). She and her husband, Matt, ministered in the Church of Scotland for thirteen years and co-founded The Abbey Summer School – a “pop up” seminary that has been running since 2013 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is the Liturgical Director for Trinity Church (Wenatchee, WA), lectures at Whitworth University in their theology MA program, and runs the non-profit Godspeed (livegodspeed.org).
Ricardo Cardenas was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He is the branch manager at Anythink Library – a public library in Commerce City – and also serves as lead pastor/elder at Calvary Commerce City, a church plant in northeast Denver. He and his wife Molly have three sweet children: Micah, Amelia and Benjamin. Ricardo received his Bachelor of Arts from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and his Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary. He enjoys reading, writing, and thinking about public theology, and he is particularly interested in studying Abraham Kuyper’s understanding of common grace as it relates to the life and work of public libraries. Ricardo also cares deeply about planting churches in underserved communities throughout Denver and beyond. Outside of work he enjoys watching baseball, gardening, and of course, reading good books.
Dr. Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. In his youth, he spent many summers in Guatemala and later taught at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City for thirteen years. The realities of Central America sparked Dr. Carroll’s fascination with the Old Testament. The relevance of the biblical text for the challenges of poverty, war, and politics in those developing countries led him to a passionate focus on the Old Testament prophets, Old Testament social ethics, and the social sciences. In addition, his studies in English literature and literary theory have generated an ongoing engagement with literary approaches to the Old Testament and critical studies. Experiences in this country and abroad have led him to a deep appreciation for the unique contributions that ethnic minorities, women, and the global church make to the interpretation of the Old Testament. Before coming to Wheaton, Dr. Carroll taught Old Testament at Denver Seminary for many years and founded a Spanish-language lay training program there. At Wheaton, he tries to model a commitment to connecting careful biblical scholarship with the mission of the church as it engages today’s complex realities. Dr. Carroll has been involved in Hispanic churches and teaching on the Bible and immigration for many years. He has just completed a major commentary on the book of Amos.
Delvyn Case is a composer, conductor, scholar, writer, and speaker whose works explores the intersections between music and the Christian tradition. His works have been performed by over 80 orchestras, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, and Germany’s Philharmonie Sudwestfalen, as well as by numerous Grammy-winning artists. His writing on the theological dimensions of classical and popular music has appeared in The Christian Century, Sojourners, and The Biblical Mind, various academic publications, and his Patheos blog Alleluia: Music and the Christian Life. He is the founder of Deus Ex Musica, an international ecumenical organization that promotes the use of sacred music as a resource for faith formation. A graduate of Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Case serves as Associate Professor of Music at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, USA. delvyncase.com
Dr. Kylah Clark-Goff is Professor and Dean of the School of Education at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. She is a native of Texas, but has enjoyed living and traveling internationally. She is a graduate of Baylor University as well as Southwestern Seminary, and earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University. She has more than 19 years of experience in teaching, curriculum development, and leadership in public, private, domestic, and international settings. Her professional interests include brain-based learning, educator preparation, English as a Second Language (ESL), and innovative pedagogy. Kylah loves learning, baking, exercising, and traveling with her family.
Dr. Ian Clausen is the chief editor of Augustinian Studies at the Augustinian Institute and is Assistant Teaching Professor in the Augustine & Culture Seminar Program at Villanova University. As a Marshall scholar he studied theology and ethics under Oliver O’Donovan and received his MTh and PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 2014. He is the author of On Love, Confession, Surrender and the Moral Self (Bloomsbury, 2017) and has published on topics of moral agency, conscience, love, and bioethics.
Gerald Cleaver is Professor of Physics at Baylor University. He is a member of the High Energy Physics group and head of the Early Universe Cosmology and String Theory (EUCOS) division of Baylor’s Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics, and Engineering Research. Cleaver earned his Ph.D. at Caltech in 1993, where he studied under John H. Schwarz, one of the founders of string theory. Cleaver has written approximately 100 peer-reviewed journal papers and conference proceedings, which have received over 1300 total citations. He is author of four book chapters and an encyclopedia entry, and co-author of one text book. Cleaver is on the Board of Advisors of two corporations: Rampart Communications, Inc., and Space Initiatives, Inc.
Adrian lives in Cape Town, South Africa, where he works as the deputy director of the Student YMCA Christian Study Centre on the University of Cape Town campus. His commitment to integrating theology, interdisciplinary scholarship and practice was shaped through twenty years of teaching and learning in Youth With A Mission. During this time he completed an undergraduate degree in theology and philosophy with the University of South Africa, and then a Masters theology degree at Regent College in Vancouver, with interdisciplinary and arts concentrations. While a theology lecturer at Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town, he then completed a PhD at UCT in Religious Studies, under the supervision of John de Gruchy, on everyday aesthetic existence and discipleship. He is currently a research fellow in Historical and Constructive Theology at the University of the Free State.
Rev Dr. Gareth Cockerill is Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi, USA. Gary is a gradutate of Southern Wesleyan University, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (now Union Presbyterian Seminary). He has written several books, including Hebrews in the New International Commentary on the New Testament (2012). Gary is also interested in the unity of Scripture, the continuing relevance of the Old Testament, cross-cultural interpretation of Scripture, and issues that pertain to the biblical canon. Gary, and his wife Rosa, also served for nine years in Sierra Leone, West Africa. They enjoy their three daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren.
Senator David Coltart was born in Zimbabwe and has practised law there since 1983. During his 38 years of practice he has represented many opposition politicians and human rights activists. He founded the Bulawayo Legal Projects Center in 1986, a public interest law institute. He is a founding member of the MDC opposition political party and was elected to Parliament in 2000, 2005 and 2008. Between 2009 and 2013 he was Minister of Education, Sport, Arts & Culture in the government of national unity. In 2016 he published “The Struggle Continues: 50 years of tyranny in Zimbabwe”. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and a lay preacher. He is married with 4 children.
Trevor is Emeritus Professor of Christian Education and was Director of the National Institute for Christian Education Research at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK having retired in September 2020. Prior to that he was the Director of the Transforming Lives Project, an interdenominational initiative that promoted teaching as a Christian vocation amongst churches and Christian organisations in Britain. In 2021, he stepped down as Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, swapping that for becoming Chair of his local Church of England primary school. Trevor is married to Margaret who too is active in Christian education, mainly as an author of materials for schools. Margaret is just completing a PhD in Homiletics at Durham University. They have two sons, a foster-daughter and five grandchildren.
After studying at the University of Cape Town in beautiful South Africa, Elaine made passage to Europe via Italy, Swiss and English L’Abri, and now living in Cambridge, UK with her husband, grown children and grandchildren nearby. Envisioned by the possibility that people of all ages could live meaningfully in the finite present, while relating to an infinite God of love and communication, pointed her toward the field of educational philosophy and epistemology, especially as interpreted in the writings and work of Charlotte Mason (1842-1923) a fine late Victorian Christian educator. She has recently joined the KLC IDG (Inter-Disciplinary Group) in Cambridge.
Peter Copeland is a husband, son, brother, Ontarian and Canadian. After pursuing graduate school in philosophy, he entered politics and public policy, where he now works as a policy advisor. His background is in business, political theory and philosophy, which he tries to weave into his work as a writer, contributor to think tanks, and Animator at Catholic Conscience: a non-partisan organization devoted to civic formation in Canada. Much of his life has been spent in Southwestern Ontario, though he’s called Vancouver and Montreal home for multiple years. His travels have taken him to Denmark for studies, and Korea to teach english. He enjoys the riches and novelty of different cultures, though Canada will always be home.
Amy Crider is associate professor of Foundations of Education and is the director of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Center for Writing Excellence. She teaches doctoral writing courses, supervises doctoral students, and works with writers from undergraduates to doctoral students, from academic writers to writers in ministry. Amy is passionate about innovative pedagogy in Christian contexts, coaching writing, and spiritual formation in the writing process. She has been married to Joe for 37 years, and they have four children and four grandchildren.
Luis Cruz-Villalobos, PhD (Santiago de Chile, 1976), is a writer, editor, and psychologist, with an extensive literary production in poetry and academic essays, with more than fifty published books. He is a specialist and postgraduate in clinical psychology. He has devoted himself to the study of resilience and posttraumatic growth, as well as applied hermeneutics, topics on which he based his doctoral research at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he graduated as Doctor of Philosophy. For 15 years, he was a Presbyterian minister (now retired), and he also served as regional secretary for the Southern Cone of the Latin American Theological Fellowship. He is currently working as a professor and clinical supervisor at the University of Talca (Chile), and conducts psychotherapy for adults and couples. He is a member of the Society of Writers of Chile.
AJ Culp is a dual national of America and Australia, and he currently serves as Lecturer in Old Testament and Biblical Languages at Malyon Theological College. He also Co-Chairs the Scripture and Hermeneutics Seminar and is Honorary Research Fellow for the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland. Originally trained in English literature, AJ’s research continues in the tradition of the humanities and its pursuit of big questions. He is particularly interested in how Scripture works as a ‘world-building’ text, wherein people encounter the divine and so become truly human. Most recently, AJ has explored Deuteronomy’s use of memory in this regard (Fortress Academic, 2020).
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