"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11 NRSV
Ronald D. Burris, Associate Professor of Church History
Ronald D. Burris
Associate Professor of Church History
ronaldburris@earthlink.net; (510) 841-1905 X231
As a scholar and a pastor of a modest Church in Richmond California, I have a deep appreciation for the way in which students are prepared for ministry at the American Baptist Seminary of the West. Here, at ABSW we are intentional in equipping students for ministry in the local church. Throughout our program, students are challenged to think critically about what they are learning as it relates to “doing and understanding ministry.” As a result, I believe the serious student can leave ABSW with not only a solid theological education, but also life long tools for ministry.
As Professor of Church History, I like to challenge students to appreciate the Church's past accomplishments but to also learn from our many mistakes in the areas of injustice and intolerance.
Current Scholarly Interests: The major African Fathers, such as Tertullian, Cyprian and St. Augustine; the theology and history of the Donatist Church in North Africa; the history and theology of the first four ecumenical councils; and the history and theology of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement as it relates to the theology of justice and love.