Dr. Jeff Childers

Jeff Childers currently serves as the Carmichael-Walling Chair of New Testament and Early Christianity in the Graduate School of Theology at Abilene Christian University. After getting degrees at ACU, he earned the M.St.and D.Phil at the University of Oxford, following in the footsteps of two of his heroes, John Wycliffe and J.R.R. Tolkien at Merton College.

Jeff’s research interests include special research interests include early Eastern Christianity, Patristics, New Testament textual criticism, early Christian spirituality, and the history of Bible interpretation. His academic publications include a number of journal articles and contributions to encyclopedias and collections of eastern Christian texts. His books include: Divining Gospel: Oracles of Biblical Interpretation (2020), The Syriac-English New Testament (2020), and The Syriac Version of John Chrysostom’s Commentary on John (2013).

Jeff preached at a small church for several years. Childers speaks and writes on such topics as: preparing children for baptism, adapting historic practices of prayer for contemporary spiritual life, bringing the sacraments into focus in Churches of Christ, and Tolkien and faith. Publications include co-authored books in the Heart of the Restoration series: The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ (2000) and Unveiling Glory: Visions of Christ’s Transforming Presence (2003); and articles for church leaders on children and baptism (Bruner/Kennamar, Along the Way. Conversations about Children and Faith, 2015) and managing diverse styles of spirituality in congregational life.

Jeff and his wife Linda worship and serve at the University Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas.