David Samuel Dockery is the Chancellor of Trinity International University, a Christian university located in Deerfield, Illinois. Formerly he served as Trinity's 15th president. He was elected to the presidency on February 28th, 2014. As of 2019, he is also Distinguished Professor of Theology, Theologian-in-Residence, and Special Consultant to the President at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to his time at Trinity he served as the 15th president of Union University, which has been listed among the top tier regional institutions in the South each since 1997. by U.S. News and World Report. Dockery is author or editor of more than 35 books, including: Renewing Minds, Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal, Biblical Interpretation Then and Now, Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, and the Holman Bible Handbook. His articles have been published in Touchstone, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, and numerous other publications. In addition, he has contributed chapters or articles to more than 40 other publications. He was elected to Union's presidency on December 8, 1995, and the university increased in student enrollment from 1,975 in the fall of 1996 to 4,259 in the fall of 2012, representing 15 consecutive years of increased enrollment. Quotations from Dockery have appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Post, The Dallas Morning News, The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Washington Times, The Tennessean, The Commercial Appeal, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Courier-Journal, The Baltimore Sun, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Religion News Service, Bloomberg.com, Forbes.com, Fox.com, and several denominational publications, among others. He has been interviewed on several national networks: CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, FOX, and numerous local/regional television channels; along with national radio interviews on ABC, FOX, NPR, Moody, Salem, AFR, and others. Dockery has served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He also served as Chair for the Consortium for Global Education and on the boards of Christianity Today International and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, among other local and national entities. On January 15, 2013, Dockery announced he would begin the transition process from university president to the role of university chancellor. Dockery was formally installed as president of Trinity International University on October 23, 2014. In his first year at Trinity, Dockery led work on a new strategic plan called "Heritage and Hope: Trinity 2023", which the Board of Regents passed unanimously on February 27, 2015.
Education
University of Alabama-Birmingham - Bachelor's degree
Dockery and his wife, Lanese, have three married sons and eight grandchildren.
Works
Thesis
Books
- Also translated into Romanian.
- bible studies on Ecclesiastes
Series edited
Books edited
New Testament Criticism and Interpretation, co-editor and contributor with David Alan Black chapter on "The History of New Testament Interpretation."
Beyond the Impasse?: Scripture, Interpretation, and Theology in Baptist Life, co-editor with Robison B. James chapter on "A People of the Book: The Crisis of Biblical Authority Today."
Holman Bible Handbook, general editor and contributor sections on "Pauline Letters," "History of Biblical Interpretation," "Christian Faith and the Christian Community," and "The Lord's Supper."
The Concise Bible Dictionary, consulting editor.
Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps and Reconstructions, contributing editor.
Foundations for Biblical Interpretation, co-editor and contributor with Robert B. Sloan and Kenneth A. Mathews chapter on "The Study and Interpretation of the Bible."
The Challenge of Postmodernism: An Evangelical Engagement, editor and contributor chapter on "The Challenge of Postmodernism."
New Dimensions in Evangelical Theology: Essays in Honor of Millard J. Erickson, editor. Chapter on "Millard J. Erickson."
Holman Concise Bible Commentary, general editor. Section on the "Pauline Epistles." Translated into Spanish.
The Integration of Faith and Learning: A Basic Bibliography, editor and compiler.
The Future of Christian Higher Education, co-editor with David P. Gushee. Chapters on "The Future of Christian Higher Education: An Introduction," "The Great Commandment As a Paradigm for Christian Higher Education," "The Role of Professional Education in Christian Higher Education," and "The Grandeur of God and Real Education: A Strategy for Integrating Faith in a Post-Christian Culture."
New Testament Interpretation, co-edited with David Alan Black. Chapter on the History of New Testament Interpretation.
Theologians of the Baptist Tradition, co-edited with Timothy George. Chapters on John A. Broadus, A.T. Robertson, and Hershel Hobbs.
Shaping a Christian Worldview, co-edited with Greg Thornbury. Chapter on Shaping a Christian Worldview.
John A. Broadus: A Living Legacy, co-edited with Roger Duke. Chapter on "Mighty in the Scriptures."
Southern Baptist Identity: An Evangelical Denomination Faces the Future. Chapter on "Southern Baptists in the 21st Century."
Christian Leadership Essentials, editor
Southern Baptists, Evangelicals and the Future of Denominationalism, editor
Faith and Learning: A Handbook for Christian Higher Education, editor
