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Q&A with Dr. Dockery

Evan: Tell us about yourself?

Dr. Dockery: I serve as Distinguished Professor of Theology and editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Having graduated from Southwestern in 1981, I returned to my current role in 2019. I also serve as president of the International Alliance for Christian Education (https://iace.education/our-president). The Lord has granted me the wonderful privilege of serving Christian higher education for nearly four decades, including the opportunity to serve as president of Union University for nearly half of those years as well as chief academic officer at Southern Seminary. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home with a strong church involvement, which provided a strong foundation for my life’s journey. I came to faith in Christ and was baptized when I was nine years old. I have been married to Lanese for more than 45 years. We have been blessed with three married sons and eight grandchildren.

Evan: Who should read The Authority and Sufficiency of Scripture?

Dr. Dockery: I am excited about this new book and trust that it will be read by pastors and church leaders, deacons, small group leaders, Sunday School teachers, and lay leaders in the churches. We also hope the book will be beneficial for college and seminary students. The book is written by scholars, but it is not written for scholars. We pray that both mature Christ followers and new believers as well will find the book to be helpful. Those interested in questions about the inspiration and authority of Scripture will hopefully find the book to be a source of instruction and edification. I think the effort to show how the authority and sufficiency of Scripture is applied to various areas will be instructive for many, serving as a guide for how they can understand and apply the Scriptures more faithfully in their lives and ministries.

Evan: What did you enjoy about editing this work?

Dr. Dockery: It was a joyful experience to work with my Southwestern colleagues, representing the various areas of study across the Southwestern campus. These colleagues have joined together to speak in a timely manner to a variety of important matters. Some of the contributors are well-known authors such as Malcolm Yarnell and Greg Wills, others are key campus leaders such as Joe Crider, Chris Shirley, and Todd Bates, while others represent the kind of capable scholarship present across the Southwestern community. It was a delightful privilege to work with these colleagues and to think together with them about what questions to try to address in fields such as biblical studies, theological studies, counseling, pastoral ministry, evangelism, missions, and other areas, I think the chapters complement one another well, serving as a symphonic approach to the important matters related to biblical inspiration, authority, and sufficiency. All of the authors are committed to the inerrancy of Scripture and the application of such commitments to their disciplines. The book represents the kind of commitments seen each and every day in classrooms across the Southwestern campus.

Evan: What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Dr. Dockery: It is my prayer and the prayer of all of the contributors that the book will show the continuity of the current Southwestern faculty with the founding vision of President B. H. Carroll. We trust that readers will gain a renewed confidence in the written Word of God for their lives and ministries, particularly as they look for guidance on such issues as the sanctity of life, human sexuality, racial reconciliation, the sacredness of marriage, and other current cultural concerns. We trust the Lord will use the book to encourage readers to recognize God’s written Word as an infallible source of strength for spiritual nurture and faithful living as individuals and in community with other believers.

Thank you Dr. Dockery! It was a pleasure. We will be praying for you, your family, and your continued work at SWBTS.

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Evan Knies is an elder of North Hills Church in West Monroe, LA. He is husband of Lauren and father to Maesyn. He is a graduate of Boyce College and Southern Seminary.