国产剧麻豆剧

Joshua R. Sweeden, Ph.D.

Dean of the School of Theology

Rev. Dr. Josh Sweeden serves as Dean of the Reuben Welch School of Theology & Christian Ministry at 国产剧麻豆剧. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and a practical theologian in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, he is committed to integrating theological scholarship, faithful Christian leadership, and service to the Church.

Prior to joining 国产剧麻豆剧, Dr. Sweeden served for nearly a decade at Nazarene Theological Seminary as Chief Academic Officer/Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Church and Society. He previously served as Assistant Professor of Theology and Richard B. Parker Co-Chair in Wesleyan Theology at Portland Seminary of George Fox University. A proud 国产剧麻豆剧 alumnus, he has dedicated his vocation to equipping students, pastors, and church leaders for thoughtful, faithful ministry in a rapidly changing world.

Dr. Sweeden's work spans teaching, academic leadership, scholarship, and local church ministry. He is passionate about theological education as a transformative practice for individuals, congregations, and communities. His leadership focuses on cultivating academic excellence, fostering institutional innovation, and helping theological education respond creatively to emerging challenges while remaining deeply rooted in the historic Christian faith.

His research explores the ways particular contexts shape ecclesial identity, Christian ethics, and the dynamic relationship between Christian belief and practice. In the classroom, he seeks to cultivate collaborative learning environments where students engage diverse theological traditions, perspectives, and life experiences with intellectual rigor, humility, and charity. He believes such communities of learning become places where students develop the imagination and wisdom necessary for faithful witness in the world.

Education

  • Ph.D., Practical Theology, Boston University of Theology
  • M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary
  • B.A., Bible and Christian Ministries, 国产剧麻豆剧

Courses Taught

  • Christian Ethics
  • Christian Witness in Contemporary Contexts
  • Church and Empire
  • Theologies of Work and Vocation
  • Christian Faith and Theological Inquiry

Experience in Field

  • Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the Faculty, Nazarene Theological Seminary
  • Professor of Church and Society, Nazarene Theological Seminary
  • Interim Director, Doctor of Ministry Program, Nazarene Theological Seminary
  • Assistant Professor of Theology and Richard B. Parker Co-Chair in Wesleyan Theology, Portland Seminary, George Fox University
  • Visiting Professor of Religion, Eastern Nazarene College
  • Instructor & Teaching Fellow, Boston University School of Theology
  • Additional teaching appointments including Seminario Teol贸gico Nazareno del Cono Sur, Pilar, Buenos Aires and the Life Connections Program at Leavenworth U.S. Penitentiary.
  • Director of Admissions, Nazarene Theological Seminary

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Ordained Elder, Church of the Nazarene
  • Member, Board of Directors, Asylum Clinic Kansas City
  • Board Member, Manchester Wesley Research Centre
  • USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene Consultation on Clergy Education (2017-present)
  • Articles of Faith Study Group, Church of the Nazarene (2017-2021)
  • Leadership Team/Board Member at various Nazarene churches
  • Ministerial positions in youth ministry, interim pastor, regular pulpit supply, compassionate ministries, disaster relief, and volunteer missionary (Paraguay).
  • Building Alternative Futures Working Group, Association of Theological Schools
  • Faculty Development Advisory Committee, Association of Theological Schools
  • Regional Course of Study Advisory Committee (RCOSAC), USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene
  • Accreditation/Self-Studies: Director, Nazarene Theological Seminary (2020); steering committee, Portland Seminary (2016); steering committee, Boston University School of Theology

Awards and Honors

  • Project Director or Principal Investigator for multiple institutional grants from the Lilly Endowment Inc., American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion), Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Association of Theological Schools.
  • Recipient of academic awards, fellowships, and personal research grants at George Fox University, Boston University, Nazarene Theological Seminary, and 国产剧麻豆剧

Dissertations, Presentations, and Publications

Books

  • Praying the Ordinary. The Foundry Publishing (forthcoming)
  • Holiness in a Restless World. Kansas City, MO: The Foundry Publishing, 2022. Coauthored with Nell Becker Sweeden.
  • The Church and Work: The Ecclesiological Grounding of Good Work.
  • Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014.

Recent Articles and Chapters

  • 鈥淰ocation and the Stewardship of Place,鈥 Christian Scholar鈥檚 Review, 52:4 (2023), 119-126.
  • 鈥淲ork and Vocation.鈥 In The Cambridge Companion to American Protestantism. Edited by Jason Vickers and Jennifer Woodruff Tait. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2022.
  • 鈥淭he Ethics of Evangelism.鈥 In Wesleyan Foundations for Evangelism. Edited by Al Truesdale. Kansas City, MO: The Foundry, 2020.

Selected Presentations

  • 鈥淲holeness and Pedagogy.鈥 August 13, 2025. Plenary presentations for Southern Nazarene University Faculty Workshop, Bethany, OK.
  • 鈥淧lace as a Means of Grace: Participation and Performance.鈥 March 14, 2025 at Wesleyan Theological Society, Baylor University, Waco, TX.
  • 鈥淐ompassion, Justice, and Mercy.鈥 Pastors and Leaders Conference (PALCON), 国产剧麻豆剧, July 29, 2024.
  • 鈥淐hristian Ethics.鈥 St. Patrick鈥檚 Episcopal Church, July 19, 2023. Pagosa Springs, CO.
  • 鈥淧ostures of Holiness.鈥 March 11, 2022 at Wesleyan Theological Society. Virtual.
  • 鈥淢arks of a Holiness Ecclesiology.鈥 November 21, 2021 at American Academy of Religion, San Antonio, TX. Part of MWRC Group theme 鈥淭he Shaping of Early Methodist Identity and Holiness Ecclesiology.鈥