{{short description|American religion academic}} {{Infobox academic | honorific_prefix = | name = Ben Witherington III | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Ben.Witherington III.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = <!-- Use only if different from full/othernames --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|12|30}} | birth_place = High Point, North Carolina, U.S. | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | region = | period = | occupation = | title = Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary | boards = <!-- Board or similar positions extraneous to main occupation --> | known_for = | spouse = Ann Witherington | children = 2 (1 deceased) | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | era = | language = | discipline = Biblical studies<!-- Major academic discipline - e.g. Physicist, Sociologist, New Testament scholar, Ancient Near Eastern Linguist --> | sub_discipline = New Testament studies<!-- Academic discipline specialist area - e.g. Sub-atomic research, 20th Century Danish specialist, Pauline research, Arcadian and Ugaritic specialist --> | movement = <!-- Should match the idiologial movement or denomination (for religious), "school" of thought etc. (e.g. "Anglican", "Postmodernist", "Socialist" or "Green" etc. -->
| education = University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary | alma_mater = University of Durham (PhD)<!-- will often consist of the linked name of the last-attended higher education institution. --> | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | doctoral_advisor = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = <!--Only those with WP articles--> | main_interests = | workplaces = Ashland Theological Seminary<br />Vanderbilt University<br />Duke Divinity School<br />Gordon-Conwell<br />Asbury Theological Seminary<!--full-time positions only, not student positions--> | notable_works = ''The Jesus Quest'', ''The Paul Quest'' | notable_ideas = | influences = <!--Must be referenced from a third party source--> | influenced = <!--Must be referenced from a third party source--> | awards = <!--Notable national level awards only--> | website = | footnotes = }}
'''Ben Witherington III''' (born December 30, 1951) is an American Wesleyan-Arminian New Testament scholar. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, a Wesleyan-Holiness seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church.
==Biography== Witherington was born on December 30, 1951, in High Point, North Carolina.{{sfn|Sams|2008}} He is son of Ben, a banker and Joyce West, a piano teacher.{{sfn|Sams|2008}} On June 1, 1977, Witherington married Ann E. Sears, an educator. He had two children, Christy Ann and David Benjamin.{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|Halcomb|2013|p=9}} On January 11, 2012, Witherington's daughter died of a pulmonary embolism.{{sfn|Halcomb|2013|p=9}}
Witherington attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English,{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}} along with minors in Philosophy and Religious Studies.{{sfn|ATS|2020}} He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (1977) and a Ph.D. from Durham University in England (1981).{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}}
==Career== From 1984 to 1995 he was professor of New Testament at Ashland Theological Seminary.{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}} He is currently "Jean R. Amos" Professor of New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary (1995-){{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}}{{sfn|Bauer|2013|p=3}} Witherington has also taught at Vanderbilt University, and on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland.{{sfn|ATS|2020}}
From 1982 to 1983 he had been a faculty member of the Duke Divinity School{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}} and the High Point College. In 1988, 1990, 1992, he was a visiting professor of the Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary. He was a research fellow (1992), and member (1996) at Robinson College, Cambridge University.{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}}
He is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature,{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}} Society for the Study of the New Testament{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}}{{sfn|STNS|2016}} and the Institute for Biblical Research.{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}}
In 1982, he was ordained as a Methodist elder.{{sfn|Sams|2008}} Witherington has presented seminars for churches, colleges and biblical meetings in the United States, England, Estonia, Russia, Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia.{{sfn|BAS|2020}} He has also led tours to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.{{sfn|ATS|2020}} His books ''The Jesus Quest'' and ''The Paul Quest'' were selected as top biblical studies works by the Evangelical magazine ''Christianity Today''.{{sfn|Sams|2008}}{{sfn|ATS|2020}} Witherington has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Discovery Channel, A&E and PAX Network.{{sfn|BAS|2020}} He was featured in the BBC and PBS special entitled ''The Story of Jesus''.{{sfn|ATS|2020}}
== Theology == Witherington is a prominent evangelical scholar.{{sfn|BAS|2020}} He is Wesleyan Armininan in his theology.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2018|p=118}}{{sfn|Treier|2008|ps=. "Wesleyan Sholar"}}{{sfn|Witherington III|2007a|loc=I am referring to Arminianism, more commonly called Wesleyanism [...]}}{{sfn|Witherington III|2013|ps=. The first and most important reason I'm a Wesleyan is because of the character of God [...] which is love freely given and freely received. [...] According to the Calvinistic message we are saved by grace through faith alone and our actions have nothing to do with it. [...] According to the Wesleyan approach to the gospel, it's not just about notional assent [...] it's about trusting the truth about God and that is an activity.}} In ''The Problem with Evangelical Theology'' Witherington strongly challenges the exegetical foundation of Calvinism on each of its distinctive tenets.{{sfn|Treier|2008|loc=.}}{{sfn|Galli|2005|loc=The Calvinist system links the ideas of predestination, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. Each of those has its own exegetical weaknesses, especially perseverance of the saints. [...] the author of Hebrews [...] doesn't think you're eternally secure until you're securely in eternity. In the Pastoral Epistles, Paul talks about people who make shipwreck of the faith. As John Wesley once said, you can't make shipwreck of something you're not sailing on.}} He often insists on the possibility of apostasy of the believer and the related doctrine of conditional preservation of the saints (conditional security).{{sfn|Treier|2008|loc=.}}{{sfn|Witherington III|2012b|ps=. It is one of the most basic tenants ''(sic)'' of Wesleyan Arminian theology that salvation is not complete at the new birth (or justification). The Wesleyan Arminian stresses that in fact there are three tenses to salvation for the believer—"I have been saved (the new birth), I am being saved (sanctification), and I shall be saved to the uttermost (glorification)." The Arminian does not believe that a person who has only experienced the new birth has completed the salvation process, or that the rest of the process is inevitable and foreordained.}} He generally refers to the character of God, the nature of his grace and his love as a justification for his soteriology.{{sfn|Witherington III|2013|ps=. The first and most important reason I'm a Wesleyan is because of the character of God [...] which is love freely given and freely received. [...] According to the Calvinistic message we are saved by grace through faith alone and our actions have nothing to do with it. [...] According to the Wesleyan approach to the gospel, it's not just about notional assent [...] it's about trusting the truth about God and that is an activity.}}{{sfn|Hamilton|2010|p=561}} He is also a devout pacifist.{{sfn|Sider|2019|p=217-218}}
==Selected works== ===Books=== Witherington has written over sixty books.
*{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |title=Women in the ministry of Jesus: a study of Jesus' attitudes to women and their roles as reflected in his earthly life |series=Society for New Testament Studies, Monograph Series |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=1984 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Women in the Earliest Churches |series=Society for New Testament Studies, Monograph Series |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=1988 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Grace in Galatia: a commentary on St Paul's Letter to the Galatians |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=1988 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |author2-last=Witherington |author2-first=Ann |title=Women and the Genesis of Christianity |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |date=1990 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The christology of Jesus |location=Minneapolis |publisher=Fortress Press |date=1990 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Jesus, Paul and the end of the world: a comparative study in New Testament eschatology |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=Inter-Varsity Press |date=1992 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Conflict and community in Corinth : a socio-rhetorical commentary on 1 & 2 Corinthians |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=William B. Eerdmans |date=1993 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Friendship and finances in Philippi: the letter of Paul to the Philippians |location=Valley Forge, PA |publisher=Trinity Press International |date=1994 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Paul's narrative thought world: the tapestry of tragedy and triumph |location=Louisville |publisher=Westminster/John Knox Press |date=1994 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Jesus the Sage: The Pilgrimage of Wisdom |location=London |publisher=T & T Clark |date=1994 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=InterVarsity Press |date=1995 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=John's wisdom: a commentary on the fourth Gospel |location=Cambridge |publisher=Lutterworth Press |date=1995 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Acts of the Apostles |series=A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=1998}} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Paul Quest: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=InterVarsity Press |date=1998 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The many faces of the Christ: the Christologies of the New Testament and beyond |location=New York |publisher=Crossroad |date=1998 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Prophecy |location=Peabody, MA |publisher=Hendrickson Publishers |date=1999 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The realm of the reign: reflections on the dominion of God |location=Nashville, TN |publisher=Discipleship Resources |date=1999 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Gospel of Mark: a socio-rhetorical commentary |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Eerdmans |date=2000 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=New Testament History: A Narrative Account |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Baker Academic |date=2001 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The shadow of the Almighty: father, son, and spirit in biblical perspectives |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=William B. Eerdmans Pub |date=2001 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The poetry of piety: an annotated anthology of Christian poetry |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Baker Academic |date=2002 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Brother of Jesus: the Dramatic Story & Meaning of the First Archaeological Link to Jesus & his Family |location=San Francisco |publisher=HarperSanFrancisco |date=2003 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Paul's letter to the Romans : a socio-rhetorical commentary |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=William B. Eerdmans|date=2004 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Gospel Code: Novel Claims About Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=InterVarsity Press |date=2004 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Matthew |location=Macon, GA |publisher=Smyth & Helwys Publishing |date=2006 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=What Have They Done with Jesus? |location= New York |publisher= Harper Collins |date=2007 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Making a Meal of It — Rethinking the Theology of the Lord's Supper |location=Waco, TX |publisher=Baylor University Press |date=2007 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Troubled Waters — Rethinking the Theology of Baptism |location=Waco, TX |publisher=Baylor University Press |date=2007 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=The Problem with Evangelical Theology: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism, and Wesleyanism |location=Waco, TX |publisher=Baylor University Press |date=2007a }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=Revelation and the end times: unraveling God's message of hope |location=Nashville |publisher=Abingdon Press |date=2010 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=New Testament Theology and Ethics |volume=1 |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=Inter-Varsity Press |date=2016 }} *{{cite book |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |author-mask=3 |title=New Testament Theology and Ethics |volume=2 |location=Downers Grove, IL |publisher=Inter-Varsity Press |date=2016 }}
===Articles=== Witherington has written articles in different journals as: ''Ashland Theological Journal'', ''Bible Q & A'', ''Beliefnet'', ''Bible Review'', ''Biblical Archaeology Review'', ''Christian History'', ''Christianity Today'', ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', ''New Testament Studies'', ''North Carolina Christian Advocate'', ''Quarterly Review'', ''Tyndale Bulletin'', ''UM Publishing House''.{{sfn|Witherington III|2018}}
* {{cite journal |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |title=When a Daughter Dies: Walking the Way of Grace in the Midst of Grief |journal=Christianity Today|date=2012a |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/april/when-a-daughter-dies.html}}
==Notes and references== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Sources=== * {{cite web |language=en |last=ATS |title=Ben Witherington III |url=https://asburyseminary.edu/person/dr-ben-witherington-iii/ |website=Asbury Theological Seminary |date=2020 |access-date=2020-10-23}} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Bauer |first=David R. |title=Kingdom Rhetoric: New Testament Explorations in Honor of Ben |location=Eugene, OR |chapter=Perfection of Disciples in the Matthew's Gospel |publisher=Wipf & Stock |date=2013 }} * {{cite web |language=en |last=BAS |title=Ben Witherington |url=https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/scholar/ben-witherington_iii/ |website=Biblical Archaeology Society |date=2020 |access-date=2020-10-23}} * {{cite journal |language=en |last=Galli |first=Mark |authorlink = Mark Galli |title=The Problem with Evangelical Theologies |journal=Christianity Today |volume=23 |date=2005 |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/november/23.66.html |access-date=March 14, 2016}} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Halcomb |first=T. Michael W. |title=Kingdom Rhetoric: New Testament Explorations in Honor of Ben |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Wipf & Stock |date=2013 }} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Hamilton |first=James M. |title=God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology |location=Wheaton, IL |publisher=Crossway |date=2010}} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Kirkpatrick |first=Daniel |title=Monergism or Synergism: Is Salvation Cooperative or the Work of God Alone? |location=Eugene, OR |publisher=Pickwick Publication |date=2018}} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Sams |first=Adama D. |title=Contemporary authors new revision series |location=Detroit, MI |volume=168 |publisher=Gale |date=2008 }} * {{cite book |language=en |last=Sider |first=Ronald J. |title=If Jesus Is Lord: Loving Our Enemies in an Age of Violence |location=Grand Rapids, MI |publisher=Baker Academic |date=2019 }} * {{cite web |language=en |last=STNS |title=SNTS Membership List, 2016 |url=http://www.snts.international/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SNTS-Membership-List.pdf |website=snts.international |date=2016 |access-date=December 22, 2019}} * {{cite journal |language=en |last=Treier |first=Daniel J. |author-link=Daniel Treier|title=Reviewed Work: The Problem with Evangelical Theology: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism and Wesleyanism by Ben Witherington III |journal=Bulletin for Biblical Research |volume=18 |issue=1 |date=2008 |jstor=26423764 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26423764 |pages=186–188|doi=10.2307/26423764 |url-access=subscription }} * {{cite journal |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |title='Behavior Doesn't Interrupt Your Relationship with Christ': A Recipe for Disaster |journal=Christianity Today|date=2012b |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/julyweb-only/behavior-relationship-with-christ.html }} * {{cite web |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |title=Why a Wesleyan Approach to Theology? |website=Seebed |location=[Franklin, TE] |date=2013 |url=https://www.seedbed.com/why-a-wesleyan-approach-to-theology/ |access-date=2019-12-07 }} * {{cite web |language=en |last=Witherington III |first=Ben |title=Curriculum Vitae |url=http://www.benwitherington.com/cv.html |website=Dr. Ben Witherington III |date=2018 |access-date=December 22, 2019}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * [https://www.benw3.com/ Ben Witherington III introduction website] * [https://www.patheos.com/blogs/bibleandculture/ Ben Witherington on Patheos] * [http://blog.beliefnet.com/bibleandculture/ Ben Witherington on Beliefnet] * [https://www.seedbed.com/author/bwitherington/ Ben Witherington on Seedbed]
{{Authority control}} {{Asbury Theological Seminary}} {{Arminianism footer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Witherington Iii, Ben}} Category:1951 births Category:Academics of the University of St Andrews Category:American biblical scholars Category:American United Methodist clergy Category:Arminian ministers Category:Arminian theologians Category:Asbury Theological Seminary faculty Category:Christian bloggers Category:Christian writers Category:Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary alumni Category:Living people Category:New Testament scholars Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:Alumni of Durham University Graduate Society Category:Vanderbilt University faculty