Willard Swartley

Willard

Professor Emeritus of New Testament

  • B.A., Eastern Mennonite College, 1959
  • B.D., Goshen College Biblical Seminary, 1962
  • Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1973

Email: wswartley@ambs.edu
Phone: 574 296-6261

To download a print-quality photo, click on the small photo at right.

Willard Swartley believes that preparing people for ministry is the most important thing he can do in his life. He has devoted his life to teaching, writing, and editing, and he does it all with a pastoral heart.

Building on a strong commitment to the church and its mission, he has served at AMBS since 1978. In addition to teaching, he served as dean from 1979 to 1981 and 1995 to 2000, as director of summer school, and as director of the Institute of Mennonite Studies.

His long list of published works testifies to his strong scholarship as well as his interests--New Testament studies, particularly the gospel of Mark, and peace and nonviolence. He has served as New Testament editor for the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, and as co-editor of the Study of Peace and Scripture series.

"Learning and teaching these truths is the soul of our future: 'The Lord is my strength and my shield; in you my soul trusts,' ' ... for you have become my salvation,' 'Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth, give me an undivided heart to revere your name,' 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,' ' ... if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.' The name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith,' be praised and glorified."

(Ps. 28:7; Isa. 12:2c; Ps. 86:11; 111:10a; Rom. 10:9; Heb. 12:2 [adapted])

Scholarship

  • Send Forth Your Light: A Vision of Peace, Mission, and Worship (Herald Press, 2007)
  • Covenant of Peace: The Missing Peace in New Testament Theology and Ethics(Eerdmans, 2006)
  • Politics of Discipleship and Discipleship in Politics: Jürgen Moltmann Lectures in Dialogue with Mennonite Scholars (Cascade/Wipf and Stock, 2006), editor
  • Homosexuality: Biblical Interpretation and Moral Discernment (Herald Press, 2003)
  • The Meaning of Peace, rev. ed. with updated bibliography (Institute of Mennonite Studies, 2001), co-editor
  • Violence Renounced: René Girard, Biblical Studies and Peacemaking (Pandora / Herald, 2000), editor, with Introduction and article on "Imitation and Discipleship"
  • "War and Peace in the New Testament" in Aufstieg und Niedergang der Römischen Welt II (W. de Gruyter, 1996)
  • Israel's Scripture Traditions and the Synoptic Gospels: Story Shaping Story (Hendrickson, 1994)
  • Slavery, Sabbath, War and Women: Case Issues in Biblical Interpretation (Herald, 1983)