Dr. Douglas Harink

Biography

Douglas Harink has been a faculty member at The King’s University for nearly three decades. During that time he has taught in the areas of historical and modern theology, Christian ethics, theology of religions, theology of creation, theology and science, and Paul’s letters and theology. In the past he served as charter member and president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association and president of the Canadian Theological Society.

Currently Douglas is active internationally in the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), regularly presenting papers and planning panels and sessions. With Philip Ziegler (Aberdeen University) he co-founded and co-chairs the group, Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic, which meets annually at AAR. He also currently co-chairs the Pauline Theology Section of SBL. He is regularly invited to speak in churches, academic conferences and other public settings, recently as key-note speaker for the 100th birthday celebration of Hungarian NT scholar, Prof. Sarkadi Nagy Pal, at the Karoli Gaspar Reformatus Egyetem (Reformed theological college), Budapest, Hungary (October 2017).

In his scholarly work, Douglas has worked extensively at the intersection of Pauline studies and contemporary theology and philosophy. He continues to work in this area and others.

Research interests

• Modern and Contemporary Theology
• Systematic Theology
• Theological Ethics and Political Theology
• Theological Interpretation of Scripture
• The Apostle Paul’s mission and theology

Current research projects

• Apocalyptic, messianism and metaphysics
• Theological interpretations of Romans; Romans as “Dogmatics”
• Theological perspectives on fear and death in the natural world (with Dr John Wood and Dr Darcy Visscher)

Recent publications: books

Resurrecting Justice: Reading Romans for the Life of the World. Downers Grove, IN: IVP Academic, forthcoming 2020.

Co-editor (with Joshua B. Davis) and contributor. Apocalyptic and the Future of Theology: with and beyond J. Louis Martyn. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2012.

Editor and contributor. Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision: Critical Engagements with Agamben, Badiou, Žižek and Others. Theopolitical Visions. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2010.

1 & 2 Peter. Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2009.

Paul among the Postliberals: Pauline Theology beyond Christendom and Modernity. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2003.

Recent publications: essays

“John Barclay's Gift to Theology: Book Symposium on John M. G. Barclay, Paul and the Gift,” in Pro Ecclesia: A Journal of Catholic and Evangelical Theology, Vol 28:2 (2019): 126-132. 

“Messianic Anarchy: The Liberating Word of Romans 13:1-7.” Pp 197-210 in Practicing with Paul, edited by Presian Burroughs. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2018.

“J. L. Martyn and Apocalyptic Discontinuity: The Trinitarian, Christological Ground of Galatians in Galatians 4:1-11.” Journal for the Study of Paul and His Letters, Vol. 7 (2017): 101-111.

“‘Who hopes for what is seen?’ Political theology through Romans.” Pp 150-171 in The Unrelenting God: Essays on God’s Action in Scripture, edited by David Downs and Matthew Skinner. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2013.

“Jewish Priority, Election, and the Gospel.” Pp. 273-281 in Introduction to Messianic Judaism: Its Ecclesial Context and Biblical Foundations, edited by David Rudolf and Joel Willets. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013).

“Partakers of the Divine Apocalypse: Hermeneutics, History and Human Agency after Martyn.” Pp. 73-95 in Apocalyptic and the Future of Theology (see “Books” above).

“Introduction: From Apocalypse to Philosophy—and Back.” Pp. 1-10 in Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision (see “Books” above).

“Time and Politics in Four Commentaries on Romans,” Pp. 282-312 in Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision (see “Books” above).

 “Will Theological Education be Theological?” Toronto Journal of Theology, Supplement 1 (2009): 155-168.

“Barth’s Apocalyptic Exegesis and the Question of Israel in Römerbrief, Chapters 9-11.” Toronto Journal of Theology 25 (2009): 5-18.

 “Paul and Israel: An Apocalyptic Reading,” Pro Ecclesia 26:4 (2007): 359-380.

Memberships

• American Academy of Religion
• Explorations in Theology and Apocalyptic (co-founder and co-chair, with Philip Ziegler)
• Karl Barth Society of North America
• Pauline Theology Section of SBL (co-chair and member of steering committee)
• Society of Biblical Literature

Fellowships, grants, awards

• 2005: Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ
• 2005: Council of Christian Colleges and Universities Initiative Grant for “St. Paul’s Secular Destinies” research project (US $15,000)
• 1996: Pew Faculty Summer Research Grant (US $3,500)
• 1996: Templeton Science and Religion Course Program (US $10,000: shared with two colleagues, in Physics and Sociology)
• 1995-96: Pew Foundation, “Global Stewardship Initiative” (US $1,500)

Administrative responsibilities

• Dean, Faculty of Arts (2011-15, 2016-17)