ATLANTA – Mercer University Provost Dr. D. Scott Davis has appointed Dr. Robert N. Nash Jr. as interim dean of the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology. Dr. Nash's appointment is effective July 1, when the School's current and founding dean Dr. R. Alan Culpepper will step down after 20 years of service in that post.
“I am grateful that Dr. Nash has agreed to serve as interim dean of McAfee and provide leadership during this important transition in the School's history,” Dr. Davis said. “He fully understands and embraces McAfee's mission and is well regarded by his colleagues, students and the School's external constituents.”
Dr. Nash serves as the Arnall-Mann-Thomasson Professor of Missions and World Religions and associate dean for the Doctor of Ministry program at McAfee.
He received his Ph.D. in church history (1989) and Master of Divinity (1985) from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, he completed both his Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville.
“The McAfee School of Theology is strategically placed in the city of Atlanta and on the Mercer University campus where it serves as a center for theological inquiry, ministry preparation and innovative church leadership in the 21st century,” said Dr. Nash. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students as we build upon the legacy of Dean Alan Culpepper and work toward our common vision of nurturing God's Beloved Community in our churches and neighborhoods and across the world.”
Prior to joining the faculty at McAfee in 2012, Dr. Nash served as global missions coordinator at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship from 2006-2012 and as a professor in the religion departments at both Shorter College in Rome from 1994-2006 and Judson College in Marion, Alabama, from 1992-1994. He also served as dean of the School of Religion and International Studies at Shorter for several years.
Author of three books and numerous articles, Dr. Nash has devoted his research and writing to the intersection between religious faith and culture, paying particular attention to what happens to religions as they move from one cultural context to another.
He has served as pastor and interim pastor of a number of congregations in Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia and as a frequent lecturer on college and university campuses and at conferences across the nation that focus on ministry and mission in the 21st century.
He and his wife, Guyeth Nash, a psychotherapist, have two grown children, Douglas and Lindsay.
About the James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology
The James and Carolyn McAfee School of Theology was established in 1996. Located in Atlanta, on Mercer University's Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus, the School of Theology offers degree programs leading to a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. The School of Theology also offers several joint programs: an M.Div.-Master of Business Administration, M.Div.-Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and M.Div.-Master of Science in Organizational Leadership with a Concentration in Non-Profit. For more information, visit theology.mercer.edu.
