Duane Litfin
Duane Litfin | |
|---|---|
| Born | A. Duane Litfin November 14, 1943 |
| Ecclesiastical career | |
| Religion | Christianity (evangelical) |
Congregations served | First Evangelical Church, Memphis |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | |
| Influences | J. I. Packer[1] |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | |
A. Duane Litfin (born 1943) is an American academic administrator and evangelical minister. He was the seventh president of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.
Early life and education
Litfin was born on November 14, 1943. He holds an undergraduate degree in biblical studies from the Philadelphia College of Bible (now Cairn University) and a master's degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. His two doctoral degrees are from Purdue University (communication) and Oxford (New Testament).[2]
Career
Litfin came to Wheaton College in 1993 from Memphis, Tennessee, where he served the First Evangelical Church as senior pastor. Prior to that, he was an associate professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. He also taught at Purdue University and Indiana University.[3]
Litfin has authored several books and his writings have appeared in numerous journals and periodicals. His most recent book, Paul's Theology of Preaching, published in 2015, explores the Apostle Paul's vision of Christian ministry.
Litfin announced his retirement in March 2009.[4] He was succeeded as president on July 1, 2010, by Philip Ryken, formerly senior pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and a 1988 graduate of Wheaton.[5]
Controversy
During Litfin's time at Wheaton, multiple professors were fired due to a perceived lack of adherence to the college's statement of faith, including one professor who converted to Roman Catholicism and another who was critical of creationism.[6][7][8]
In a major cultural change for the college, Litfin in 2003 presided over the lifting of the ban on dancing and eased its restrictions on tobacco and alcohol use.[9]
An article in the SoMA review[10] discusses some of the more controversial aspects of Litfin's tenure at Wheaton.
Personal life
Litfin is married and has three children.[11]
Selected publications
- Litfin, A. Duane (1992). Public Speaking: A Handbook for Christians (2nd ed.). Baker Book House. ISBN 9780801056758.
- Litfin, A. Duane (1994). St. Paul’s Theology of Proclamation: 1 Corinthians 1–4 and Greco-Roman Rhetoric. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521451789.
- Litfin, A. Duane (2004). Conceiving the Christian College. W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. ISBN 9780802827838.
- Litfin, Duane (2012). Word Versus Deed: Resetting the Scales to a Biblical Balance. Crossway. ISBN 9781433531125.
- Litfin, A. Duane (2015). Paul’s Theology of Preaching: The Apostle’s Challenge to the Art of Persuasion in Ancient Corinth (Revised and expanded ed.). InterVarsity Press. ISBN 9780830898558.
References
- ^ Kent Hughes, R. (May 2007). Disciplines of a Godly Man. Crossway. ISBN 9781433518638.
- ^ Banas, Casey (13 January 1993). "Minister to Head Wheaton College". Chicago Tribune. p. 3 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Gottesman, Andrew (September 18, 1993). "Wheaton College Hails Chief". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Sanchez, Robert (21 March 2009). "Wheaton College Head Will Resign". Daily Herald. p. 6 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Phillip Ryken Named New President of Wheaton College". Church Report (Press release). Christy Media. February 20, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2010.
- ^ Greco Jr, Carmen (22 February 2001). "Wheaton Professor's Firing Rallies Students". Daily Herald. p. 1 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Golden, Daniel (7 January 2006). "A Test of Faith; A Professor's Firing After His Conversion Highlights a New Orthodoxy at Religious Colleges". The Wall Street Journal – via ProQuest.
- ^ Baldacci, Leslie (10 January 2006). "Wheaton College Prof Fired for Converting to Catholicism". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 03 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Breslin, Meg McSherry (20 February 2003). "Wheaton College Eases Alcohol, Dancing Ban". Chicago Tribune. pp. 1-2C.1 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Chignell, Andrew (January 13, 2010). "Whither Wheaton?". Somareview.com. Society of Mutual Autopsy. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
- ^ "Duane Litfin". FamilyLife. Cru. Retrieved 27 May 2026.