Tyndale Seminary is pleased to announce the installation of Dr. Dennis Ngien as the inaugural holder of the Alister E. McGrath Chair of Christian Thought and Spirituality as of September 21, 2019.
The endowed Chair at Tyndale Seminary is in honour of Dr. Alister E. McGrath who is an internationally acclaimed theologian, scholar and Christian apologist. Dr. McGrath is currently the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion and Director of Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at the University of Oxford. He is renowned for his prolific, scholarly work in diverse areas including: the relationship between science and religion, Christian apologetics, reformation theology, contemporary theologians and Christian spirituality. A prolific author, he has also penned one of the most acclaimed theology textbooks in use, Christian Theology: An Introduction (Wiley Blackwell, 2017).
“I want to say how honoured, but also how humbled I am by naming this Chair after me and how delighted I am that Dr. Ngien is to be its first occupant. This is a very challenging time for theological education where being faithful is not simply about honouring the past, it’s also about looking towards the future and asking what we can do to engage the changing situation around us. I want to honour Tyndale for their vision in this and say how this is such an exciting development,” noted Dr. McGrath during his address at the installation ceremony.
This interface of the twin foci outlined in the title “Christian Thought and Spirituality” is a key theme in Dr. McGrath’s scholarship and is foundational to the educational ethos at Tyndale Seminary. “This Chair represents for us a very key part of an understanding of who we are trying to be as a theological institution. Deeply rooted in our tradition for 125 years, has been this idea that somehow it is not enough to just teach theology, but that we must teach students to learn how to do the theology in the context of the times that they are living in and in the worlds in which they are living in. Dr. McGrath represents that in such a profound way,” said Dr. Gary Nelson, President and Vice Chancellor of Tyndale Seminary.
Dr. Ngien is the senior theologian at Tyndale Seminary and has authored numerous articles and books including most recently a major monograph on Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Christ in Luther's Sermons on John with Cascade Books, to which Dr. McGrath wrote a preface. Formally a Fellow at the Centre for Reformation and Renaissance, University of Toronto, Dr. Ngien was recently appointed as Associate Member, Aquinas Institute, Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University.
“Dr. Ngien takes up the role of the inaugural holder of the McGrath Chair with overwhelming support and affirmation, including from McGrath himself. As senior theologian at Tyndale Seminary, Dr. Ngien is an internationally acclaimed scholar, a prolific author, a devoted mentor, and a master teacher who shares McGrath’s commitment to the interface of theology and spirituality,” shared Dr. Janet Clark, Senior Vice President Academic and Dean of Tyndale Seminary.
Alongside of his scholarly achievements and engagement with churches, Dr. Ngien mentors scholars, theological students, pastors and church leaders around the globe.
To date approximately one-quarter of the amount needed to fully fund the Chair has been raised. Tyndale’s goal is to have it fully funded by the end of 2020. Individuals interested in supporting this significant position can contact the Tyndale Foundation Office.