Feb. 25, 2011
For Immediate Release
By Caleb Harris, student news writer
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - “I hope my enthusiasm for archaeology and Biblical studies will encourage some of the students to consider Biblical studies and Christian studies as a major, but more importantly as a calling and a ministry.”
Dr. Joel F. Drinkard Jr., a native of Greensboro, N.C., has been employed as a professor of Old Testament interpretation and Scholar-in-Residence, according to an announcement from Dr. Michael V. Carter, president of Campbellsville University.
He last served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. At the seminary, he was the dean of the School of Theology, and also served as vice president of academic administration until his retirement on July 31, 2008.
Drinkard graduated from Greensboro High School in Greensboro, N.C. in 1961. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1965. He went on to attend the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., where he earned his Master of Divinity in 1968 and his Master of Theology in 1970. He received his doctorate in 1980 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.
In 1967, a college professor of Drinkard's gave him the opportunity to take part in an excavation at Tel Arad in Israel. “Archaeology has been in my blood ever since,” Drinkard said.
His career led him to teach at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 25 years, including 10 years in full-time local church ministry as a pastor.
Dr. Dwayne Howell, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Campbellsville University, is a former student of Drinkard's.
Howell studied under Drinkard while working toward his master's and doctoral degrees at Southern Seminary. They have maintained contact ever since.
“When a need arose for a class in archeology, I thought of Dr. Drinkard. He came in the spring semester 2010 to teach the course. He was well received and did an excellent job with the course,” Howell said.
Howell said, “When the opportunity arose for the Senior Scholar in the School of Theology, I immediately recommended Dr. Drinkard. He will definitely be an asset for both the School of Theology and the university as a whole.”
Drinkard said teaching is enjoyable and fulfilling to him. “I especially enjoy seeing students become excited about the subject, whether I'm teaching Old Testament, Hebrew or Archaeology,” Drinkard said.
“I hope my enthusiasm for archaeology and Biblical studies will encourage some of the students to consider Biblical studies and Christian studies as a major, but more importantly as a calling and a ministry.”
Drinkard hopes to have a long lasting relationship with Campbellsville University. His primary teaching responsibility is with the Louisville Center, but he hopes to continue teaching some courses at the main Campbellsville campus also.
When Drinkard is not teaching, one of his hobbies is Bible collecting. He began collecting Bibles over 40 years ago when he studied in England. Some of his collection includes: a Geneva Bible dated back to 1599, a King James Bible printed in 1630, and a Bishops Bible dated 1591. He also has individual pages from earlier Latin Bibles that date back as far as 1250 and several scrolls which are an estimated 200 to 300 years old.
“I use the Bibles in classroom and church presentations to remind us how God has worked and continues to work through all languages and all translations to reveal to all people God's word and God's will for all people,” he said.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 63 undergraduate programs, 17 master's degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.