NEWS AND EVENTS
News/Events Home | Current Seminary News | Event Calendar
Fuller In The Media | News Archives  | A Resource for Journalists

Dr. Robert K. Johnston Named President of the American Theological Society

Robert K. Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., has been elected president of the prestigious, 92-year-old American Theological Society for 2003-2004.

“That the society picked someone who specializes in the dialogue between theology and popular culture is an indication of its commitment to extending the theological dialogue beyond the typical confines of systematic theology,” Johnston said. “It is another indication that, as Karl Barth once said, theology must be done with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper – or a movie or a novel – in the other.”

The 100-member American Theological Society, which meets annually at Princeton Theological Seminary to discuss current theological issues, is a veritable Who’s Who of American theologians from across the denominational spectrum. Former presidents include such distinguished scholars as Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, Albert Outler, Paul Ramsey, Avery Dullas, Geoffrey Wainwright, and the founding editor of Christianity Today, Carl F. H. Henry, who was also one of the original professors at Fuller Seminary.

Members of the ATS are well-known for their breadth of interest and diversity of outlook. In addition to theologians in the strict sense of the term, members include leading scholars with theological interest in philosophy of religion, biblical literature, church history, ethics, and theology and culture.

“In a century that can be characterized by ever increasing specialization, the society’s distinctive has been its cross-disciplinary, theological discussion,” Johnston said. “With its diversity of theological perspectives and methods reflecting our religiously pluralistic culture, the society remains an important forum for the cross-fertilization of theological ideas.”

Fuller Seminary is the largest multidenominational seminary in the world, with more than 4,000 students from more than 60 countries and 100 denominations. Fuller provides professional and graduate-level education in its schools of theology, psychology, and world mission. In addition to the main campus in Pasadena, Fuller has campuses in Irvine and Menlo Park, California; Seattle, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Phoenix, Arizona.