Education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS)
By Anton Williams, Founder
GMNF Funding for seminary education through TEDS
GMNF is providing scholarships to cover the cost of seminary education through Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for its members for certificates (masters level courses that can be used for masters degrees), masters and doctoral programs.
Trinity is one of the world's leading theological seminaries and its has been faithful in its doctrinal orthodoxy. The same esteem for biblical authority and inerrancy permeates the school. The impact of TEDS can be seen in many ways.
Trinity's leadership in academic global Christianity and evangelicalism can be seen through organizations like the Evangelical Theological Society and Evangelical Mission Society. The Evangelical Theological Society is the largest academic society for evangelicals schools in the fields of biblical studies and theology. Its a broad evangelical organization so many Christian schools (also churches and non profit organizations) are represented. This includes the largest and most esteemed ones like Dallas Theological Seminary, Westminster Theological Seminary, Moody Bible Institute, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Liberty University, Fuller Theological Seminary, Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and others.
Nearly 1/3 (31%) of the Presidents have taught at Trinity at some point in their careers since TEDS was founded in 1963-1964. The listing is below. Second is Dallas Theological Seminary 18% and Wheaton is third with 8 faculty (14%) elected as President of the ETS since 1963-64. Most of the 270 or so ATS schools have not had a faculty member who was elected by peers to serve as President of the Evangelical Theological Society. Within an organization like the ETS when many Christian seminaries are presented (especially the largest and most renowned schools), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is most influential.
These are examples of the grace of God demonstrated through the school as a factor within Christianity:
Trinity's impact on churches, seminaries and non profit orgs globally through biblical inerrancy
These are examples of the grace of God demonstrated through the school as a factor within Christianity:
Trinity faculty had a immense impact on the growth and expression of conservative inerrancy
In the 1880s; 9 of the 10 largest seminaries were conservative evangelicals
Liberal higher criticism with its subjective conjecture that assaults the truthfulness of scripture began to emerge within the churches, colleges and seminaries in the U.S. from the 1880s-1920s.
By the 1960s; The majority of the largest seminaries were liberal in theology. The Battle for the Bible for the mid 20th century began. (1972 Time Magazine )
1963, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School was formed in part to publish literature on biblical authority and inerrancy of scripture.
Trinity played a leading role in demonstrating the truthfulness of biblical inerrancy (no error in the originals of scripture) as well as biblical authority through classes, radio, t.v. books, magazines, articles, etc. TEDS faculty played a leading role in the Council of Biblical Inerrancy and the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy
1982 Christianity Today article"Documenting the Dramatic Shift in Seminaries from Liberal to Conservative"
1982 Christianity Today article "The Battle for the Bible, 1982: A report from the Front"
1982 Christianity Today article "Another Round of the Elusive Term, Inerrancy"
By the 1990s, most the largest theological seminaries were once again conservative theologically orientated in the view that lines up with the bible and external/objective data (2002 Christianity Today)
As of 2022; 18 of the 20 largest theological seminaries affirm a view of conservative biblical inerrancy. See the 2022 ATS datatables and the largest seminaries statement of faith
INFLUENCE OF TRINITY EVANGELICAL DIVINITY SCHOOL IN GLOBAL EVANGELICALISM
Trinity faculty played a leading role in the International Council of Biblical Inerrancy
33% (5/15) members of the Executive Council on the ICBI taught at TEDS (Gleason Archer, Norman L. Geisler, John H. Gerstner, Kenneth S. Kantzer and Francis A. Schaeffer. "Inerrancy" page X.
Papers presented at the ICBI were complied in a book entitled "Inerrancy" that was edited by Norman Geisler.
43% (6/14) presenters taught at TEDS including Gleason Archer, J Barton Payne, Walter C. Kaiser, Paul D. Feinberg, Norman L. Geisler and John H. Gerstner.
Many Christian Colleges, Universities, Seminaries, Churches and Non-Profit organizations included direct or indirect references to biblical inerrancy as part of their statement of faith
Influence of TEDS in global evangelicalism and Christianity is seen in the service of the role of leading evangelical organizations like the Evangelical Theological Society and Evangelical Missiological Society
31% (18 of 58 ) Presidents of the ETS taught at TEDS from 1963-64 year when Trinity was founded through 2022, at some point in their careers: From J. Barton Payne (1966), Kenneth Kantzer (1968), Carl F.H. Henry (1969), Richard Longnecker (1974), Bruce Waltke (1975), Walter Kaiser (1977), Stanley Gundry (1978), Gleason Archer (1986), H. Wayne House (1991), Norman Geisler (1998), Wayne Grudem (1999), John Sailhamer (2000), David M. Howard (2003), Francis Beckwith (2007), Bruce A. Ware (2009), Robert Yarbrough (2013), David Dockery (2018) and Don A. Carson (2022)
The Evangelical Missiological Society was co-founded by David J. Hesselgrave who also was the founding dean of the school of World Missions at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Several of the Presidents of the EMS have served as faculty or are alumni of TEDS.
Some of the world's most influential theologians taught at Trinity
Some examples of notable theologians and missiologist who have taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) includes Carl F. H Henry, Kenneth Kantzer, John Stott and David Hesselgrave among others. These are a few of the examples of the scholars who were considered top in their disciplines and taught at TEDS.
Carl F. H Henry
Kenneth S. Kantzer
John Stott
John Gerstner
David Hesselgrave