Dr. Paul A. Lewis

I have been at Mercer University since 2002 but grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri, a city that sits on the western border of Missouri and the eastern border of Kansas. St. Joe has a history of looking both forward to the promise of the West and back to the country’s more settled heritage of the East. Upon reflection, I wonder how that setting has subtly shaped my life. On one hand, I find that I am intellectually and religiously restless — never settled for long, always wanting to explore more.

At the same time, I have put down some roots that guide my approach to theological ethics and my convictions about teaching and learning. We draw from the history and traditions that nurture us even as we continue to expand their horizons. In short, knowing who we are and where we come from make it possible for us to move into the future with integrity.

Education

• Ph.D., Duke University
• Th.M., Union Theological Seminary
• M.Div., Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
• B.A., Missouri Western State College

Specialty

Theological ethics

Professional Interests

Moral development, the virtues, and practical wisdom.

Other Interests

Reading science fiction, listening to jazz, hiking, and watching sports car racing.

Recent Publications

Books

• Faithful Innovation: The Rule of God and a Christian Practical Wisdom. Macon: Smyth and Helyws (2020).
• Wisdom Calls: the Moral Story of the Hebrew Bible (Macon, GA: Nurturing Faith, 2017).

Articles

• “In Gun We Trust? a Homily,” in Review and Expositor (2020).
• “The Organ Maker’s Shop, Erotic Attention, Teaching, and Trust,” Tradition and Discovery 44 (No. 2, July 2018):10-17.*

Op-Eds

• “Confessions of a Haunted Christian Ethicist.” goodfaithmedia.org. Nov. 30, 2023.
• “Moral Passion: Unleashed but Ungrounded.” goodfaithmedia.org. April 12, 2023.
• “How Any Biblical Text Can Be a Text of Terror.” goodfaithmedia.org. March 27, 2023

Contact Dr. Paul A. Lewis

(478) 301-4166
lewis_pa@mercer.edu
Office: Knight Hall, Room 312B