Stephenson Elected Leader of SPS Group
By Mary Beth Callahan
Dr. Christopher A. Stephenson, assistant professor of systematic theology at Lee University, was recently elected group leader of Ecumenical Studies, one of nine disciplines of the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) at an annual meeting in Springfield, Mo.
As group leader, Stephenson will assist the SPS officers in implementing each annual meeting’s conference theme and help determine the recipient of the SPS annual Pneuma Book Award. The term of Stephenson’s election is three years.
“As ecumenical sensitivity and interest increases among Pentecostals, I am happy to play a small role in the continued efforts of Pentecostals to become more aware of what they can both learn from and contribute to Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant traditions,” said Stephenson. “These kinds of ecumenical conversations are one of the many reasons that now is such an exciting time to be a scholar of Pentecostalism.”
The Ecumenical Studies group is devoted to the pursuit of Christian unity through the academic study of Pentecostalism’s relationships to other Christian churches, including theological similarities and differences among them.
Stephenson began teaching in Lee’s Department of Theology in 2008. His areas of specialization include theological method, pneumatology, Christology, and Pentecostal theology. His current research projects include works on baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the theology of Amos Yong, and the work of Jesus Christ (for Eerdmans’s “Guides to Theology” series).
Stephenson has published articles in the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Istina and Religion Compass. He frequently presents at the American Academy of Religion and the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
As an ordained bishop, Stephenson is an active member of the East Cleveland Church of God congregation, where he regularly teaches, preaches, and contributes to Sunday liturgy.
Stephenson earned his PhD in theology and ethics from Marquette University and his MA and BA from Lee University.
Stephenson and his wife Lisa, also a Department of Theology faculty member, have two daughters, Abigail and Bella.
For more information about the Society for Pentecostal Studies, visit http://www.sps-usa.org/.
