Residential Doctoral Programs
Students entering doctoral studies at Liberty Theological Seminary come from diverse academic and ministry backgrounds. Here, they prepare for future academic and ministry endeavors, including research and writing, teaching and ministering, full-time church work, cultural engagement, and parachurch ministry.
Liberty Theological Seminary’s residential doctoral programs foster mentorship between faculty and students and offer degree programs that are integrative and interdisciplinary in approach.
Residential Ph.D. Degrees
In the Ph.D. in Biblical Studies program, students will have the opportunity to take courses in biblical theology, Old Testament, New Testament, Greek, and Hebrew. Here, students can engage rigorously with the biblical Greek and Hebrew languages and examine Old and New Testament literature in their ancient historical contexts.
In the Ph.D. in Theological Studies program, students can take courses in theology, apologetics, church history, and biblical theology. This degree prepares students to integrate and think wholistically—biblically, historically, philosophically—about core Christian doctrine while also equipping them to defend the Christian faith.
Faculty from Liberty Theological Seminary and the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity serve as mentors helping students to develop both academically and spiritually. They aim to prepare students to serve inside and outside of academia, coming alongside the local church to fulfill the Great Commission.
Ph.D. Faculty Advisors
Dr. Mark Allen
Research & Supervision Interests
– Augustine
– Apologetics
– Public Theology
– Biblical Theology
Dr. Ronnie Campbell
Research & Supervision Interests
– God’s Relationship to Time
– The Doctrine of Divine Simplicity
– Divine Attributes
– The Doctrine of the Trinity
– The Problem of Evil
– Models of God
– God and Providence
Dr. Gary Habermas
Research & Supervision Interests
– The Resurrection
– Evidence of Historical Jesus
– Religious Studies
– Faith and Philosophy
Research & Supervision Interests
– New Testament
– Greek Language and linguistics
– Textual Criticism
– New Testament Apocrypha
Dr. Benjamin Laird
Research & Supervision Interests
– New Testament Canon
– Early Christianity
– Pauline Epistles
– Gospels
– Acts
– New Testament Backgrounds
Dr. Kevin King
Research & Supervision Interests
– Church History
– Historical Theology
– Evangelicalism
– Preaching
Dr. Leo Percer
Research & Supervision Interests
– Hermeneutics
– Pauline Studies
– Johannine Studies
– Artificial Intelligence and Bible Studies
Dr. Jillian Ross
Research & Supervision Interests
– Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament
– The Book of Judges, including Exegesis, Theology, ANE
The Book of Esther, including Exegesis, Theology, ANE backgrounds
– Hebrew Linguistics
– Middle Voice
Dr. Chad Thornhill
Research & Supervision Interests
– The New Testament & Second Temple Judaism
– Greek Grammar, Syntax, Exegesis, & Linguistics
– Intersection of Doctrines & Practice
– Soteriology
– Narrative Theology
– Trinitarian Theology
Dr. Josh Waltman
Research & Supervision Interests
– Philosophical or Systematic Theology
– Theological or Apologetic method
– Apologetic Arguments for Christian Theism
– Theology of Spiritual Warfare
– Theology of Mission (i.e., missio dei)
Affiliate Professors
Dr. Andrew Kostenberger
Research & Supervision Interests
– Gospel of John
– Book of Acts
– 1-2 Timothy, Titus
– New Testament Backgrounds
– Hermeneutics
– Biblical Theology
Research & Supervision Interests
– Philosophy of Religion
– History of Philosophy
– Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic
– Arguments from evil, miracles, and the Resurrection of Jesus
– C. S. Lewis & J. R. R. Tolkien studies