Madison Grace appointed director of research doctoral studies at Southwestern Seminary

W. Madison Grace II, associate professor of theology and director of the Oxford Study Program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has been named the seminary’s new director of Research Doctoral Studies, President Adam W. Greenway announced today. 

“I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Grace to this strategic role at Southwestern Seminary,” Greenway said. “Under his leadership, I am confident that our programs of Research Doctoral Studies will continue to attract the very best and brightest students from a wide range of academic fields. Future employers of our graduates—whether in the academy, the churches, denominational life, or other institutions—can be assured they are getting scholars who are committed both to the sacred Scriptures in service of the Gospel ministry and the highest standards of scholarly achievement. As has been the case since the seminary’s founding under B. H. Carroll, ‘Scholarship on fire’ remains the commitment on Seminary Hill. Dr. Grace, himself a proud Ph.D. graduate of our seminary, is the right person at the right time for this critical post of academic stewardship.”

A Mississippi native, Grace began serving at Southwestern Seminary in 2014 as an assistant professor of Baptist history and theology. In addition to his current faculty and administrative responsibilities, in his new role Grace will oversee all terminal degree programs, including the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, which is offered in all four of the seminary’s graduate schools, the Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in the School of Church Music and Worship, and the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries.

“Dr. Grace is well suited for this role as he embodies the rich mixture of outstanding academics coinciding with a pastor’s heart,” said Benjamin M. Skaug, provost and vice president for academic administration. “He will ensure that our research doctoral students receive the very best education that we can possibly offer to serve the churches and institutions of the SBC and the broader body of Christ.”

Grace expressed excitement regarding his new role.

“I am really excited to take on the role of director of Research Doctoral Studies at Southwestern,” Grace said. “These programs are highly dependent upon the individual work of Southwestern’s exceptional faculty, and I count it my privilege to step into this role to offer support to my colleagues. Our research doctoral programs are graduating students who are adding to the literature in fields from worship to counseling to missions and, of course, in biblical and theological studies, among others. I am looking forward to this new role and helping keep Southwestern’s research doctoral programs exceptionally strong.”

Grace earned both his Master of Divinity with biblical languages (2006) and Doctor of Philosophy in systematic theology (2012) degrees from Southwestern Seminary. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Christian studies degree from Mississippi College.

From 2015-2019, Grace served as the managing editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, the oldest theological journal continually published by a Southern Baptist seminary. His professorial experience at Southwestern Seminary includes teaching in the areas of Baptist heritage, church history, Christian theology in the non-Western world, all at the graduate level, and leading doctoral seminars on topics including ecclesiology, early English Baptists, and figures and traditions in ethics, the latter of which focused on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was the subject of Grace’s doctoral dissertation. Additionally, Grace previously served as the chair of the church history department (2015-2016) and has been the chair of the systematic theology department since 2018.

Grace served as a co-editor of Making Disciples of All Nations: A History of Southern Baptist Missions, which was published by Kregel in 2021. He has also contributed chapters to Baptists and the Christian Tradition, Being Saved, and A Historical Theology for the Church. In addition to the Southwestern Journal of Theology, Grace has been published in The Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry.

Grace’s church staff experience includes roles in youth, worship, and family ministries at churches in Mississippi and Texas. He holds professional memberships in the American Academy of Religion, Baptist History and Heritage, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the International Bonhoeffer Society.

Grace’s appointment was effective on August 1.