The following is part of a series of short Q&A essays exploring advice for prospective seminary PhD students.
This essay features Dr. Chris Chun, Director of Jonathan Edwards Center and Professor of Church History at Gateway Seminary
How did you enter into ministry in the academy/desire to pursue a PhD?
When I started my M-Div, actually it was never my intent to pursue a PhD. My desire was to have a ministry like Gordon Hugenberger at Park Street Church in Boston. Yet, I was hungry to learn about historical theology, and along the way, I somehow found myself doing a PhD.
How is educational ministry indeed a ministry that can serve the church?
Yes, I teach church history at the seminary level. While students will learn names and dates, church history is much more than that! It is a bit similar to family history; people in the pews need to understand their spiritual family history.
Also, in today’s culture, pragmatic approaches to “doing church” are very common. I’m not saying this approach is necessarily bad. But, living in a culture where pragmatism is the norm, especially in America, can make it seem like this is the way it’s always been. But when you look back at the Reformers, Anabaptists, Puritans, and early Church Fathers, we’ll see they asked more than just, “What works?” or “How can I make my church bigger?” Historical discussions on the marks of a true church could challenge our culture’s way of thinking about the church.
How did you develop your research interests?
Reading J.I. Packer’s Knowing God and John Piper’s Desiring God in the mid-1990s sparked my interest in Jonathan Edwards.
Tell us about your publications and current research.
I have been working on the critical edition of The Works of Andrew Fuller, Volume 6: Apologetic Works, published by De Gruyter press. This volume covers Fuller’s debates with William Vidler (1758-1816) on Unitarianism and Universalism, as well as Fuller’s debates with Abraham Booth (1743-1806) on the doctrines of substitution, imputation, and particular redemption. The edition is currently undergoing the peer review process.
What advice do you have for beginning PhD students or students who desire to research and write well?
Turn off those email and mobile phone notifications!
What excites you about your field?
Jonathan Edwards seems like a tree that keeps on giving. I appreciate the new, more global approach to studying Edwards, as well as the numerous recent dissertations on Biblical Studies and Edwards.
What research openings/questions remain in your field?
How about the extent of Petrus van Mastricht’s (1630-1706) theological influence on Jonathan Edwards? For a student with a good grasp of Latin who enjoys historical and systematic theology, I would recommend this research. No dissertation-length study has been written on this topic yet.
