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All Faculty Common Read

A guide to all the Faculty Common Read for each academic year.

2025-2026 FACULTY COMMON READ PROGRAM

The 2025-2026 All Faculty Common Read program will feature not only a single work, but a collection of readings pertaining to Regent University's Statement of Faith. For each of the seven tenets in the Statement of Faith, three readings are offered, representing classical, scholarly and contemporary approaches.  Chapel talks and discussion forums will take place each month to further explore each topic.


Regent University's Statement of Faith
 

Regent University is a Christ-centered institution. The board of trustees, along with the faculty and staff of the university, is committed to an evangelical interpretation and application of the Christian faith. The campus community is closely identified with the present-day renewal movement, which emphasizes the gifts, fruit and ministries of the Holy Spirit. All employees are expected to understand and adhere to the following articles of belief:
 

1.  That the Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept.

2.  That there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

3.  That man was created in the image of God but, as a result of sin, is lost and powerless to save himself.

4.  That the only hope for man is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind, and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood.

5.  That Jesus Christ will personally return to earth in power and glory.

6.  That the Holy Spirit indwells those who receive Christ for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and holy lives.

7.  That the Church is the Body of Christ and is composed of all those who through belief in Christ have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The mission of the Church is worldwide evangelism and the nurturing and discipling of Christians.


 

PREAMBLE: OPENNESS TO CONTEMPORARY RENEWAL MOVEMENT

Regent University is a Christ-centered institution. The board of trustees, along with the faculty and staff of the university, is committed to an evangelical interpretation and application of the Christian faith. The campus community is closely identified with the present-day renewal movement, which emphasizes the gifts, fruit and ministries of the Holy Spirit.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: “The Apostles Creed” and “The Nicene Creed."

  • Scholarly Reading: Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity by Carl R. Trueman (Chapters 1 and 6).

  • Contemporary Reading: “Teaching on Revival and Repentance” and “On the Holy Spirit (Part 1 and 2) by Pat Robertson.


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, September XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel

Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, September XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

HIGH VIEW OF AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE

Tenet 1:  The Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible and authoritative source of Christian doctrine and precept.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: “Against Heresies” – Irenaeus (Book 3, Chapters 1-3).

  • Scholarly Reading: “Evidence of Scripture as God’s Written Word” and “The Inspiration of Scripture” by J. Rodman Williams (Renewal Theology).

  • Contemporary Reading: “The Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture”, by Matthew Barrett (The Gospel Coalition).


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, October XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel

Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, October XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY

Tenet 2:  There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: Anselm’s Monologion in the Oxford World’s Classics edition (Anselm of Canterbury: The Major Works) ISBN: 9780192825254. Chapters 29–64, (about 35–40 pages).

  • Scholarly Reading: The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 21: Writings on the Trinity, Grace, and Faith, Edited by Sang Hyun Lee (Yale University Press, 2002) ISBN: 978-0-300095050. “Discourse on the Trinity” (about 20 pages).

  • Contemporary Reading: John Piper, “Can we explain the Trinity?”


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, November XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, November XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY & HAMARTIOLOGY

Tenet 3:  Man was created in the image of God but, as a result of sin, is lost and powerless to save himself.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: Athanasius, On the Incarnation, Chapters 2 to 5, pp. 15-33. 

  • Scholarly Reading: Threlfall, Jonathan. “The Doctrine of the Imago Dei: The Biblical Data for an Abductive Argument for the Christian Faith.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 62, no. 3 (2019): 543-6.

  • Contemporary Reading: Hobson, George. Imago Dei: Man/Woman Created in the Image of God: Implications for Theology, Pastoral Care, Eucharist, Apologetics, Aesthetics. Eugene Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2019; The section of interest is Part III, pp. 113-14.


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, December XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, December XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

SOTERIOLOGY

Tenet 4:  The only hope for man is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God,
who died to take upon Himself the punishment for the sin of mankind,
and who rose from the dead so that by receiving Him as Savior and Lord, man is redeemed by His blood.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: “Confessions” by Augustine of Hippo (Books 8 and 10).

  • Scholarly Reading: “Salvation”, “Sanctification”, and “Life Everlasting” by J. Rodman Williams (Renewal Theology).

  • Contemporary Reading: “Salvation: An Overview” by Fred Zaspel (The Gospel Coalition).


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, January XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, January XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

ESCHATOLOGY

Tenet 5:  Jesus Christ will personally return to earth in power and glory.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “The Two Appearings and the Discipline of Grace,” Sermon preached on April 4, 1886 at Metropolitan Tabernacle.

  • Scholarly Reading: Donald G. Bloesch, The Last Things: Resurrection, Judgement, Glory (Intervarsity Press, 2004), 62–78.

  • Contemporary Reading: Keith Mathison, “The Coming of the Kingdom,” Ligonier, November 30, 2007.


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, February XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, February XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

PNEUMATOLOGY

Tenet 6:  The Holy Spirit indwells those who receive Christ for the purpose of enabling them to live righteous and holy lives.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: Basil The Great – “On the Holy Spirit” (select sections).

  • Scholarly Reading: Wayne Grudem, “The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit,” Union Publishing (2025), https://www.unionpublishing.org/resource/the-person-and-work-of-the-holy-spirit/ (accessed: May 22, 2025)

  • Contemporary Reading: Arv B, “Enjoying The Work of the Holy Spirit: Who is the Holy Spirit and what does he really do in our lives?” Together For the Gospel (June 27, 2022), https://in.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/faith-not-sight/enjoying-the-work-of-the-holy-spirit/ (accessed: May 22, 2025).


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, March XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, March XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School

ECCLESIOLOGY & MISSIOLOGY

Tenet 7:  The Church is the Body of Christ and is composed of all those who through
belief in Christ have been spiritually regenerated by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The mission of the Church is worldwide evangelism and the nurturing and discipling of Christians.


Readings:

  • Classical Reading: Athanasius, On the Incarnation (selected readings, especially parts of Chapters 2–4, 8–9).

  • Scholarly Reading: Gerald Bray’s The Church: A Theological and Historical Account, Chapter 7.

  • Contemporary Reading: “Guide My Feet While I Run This Race” (African American Spiritual).


University ChapelTitle
Wednesday, April XX, 12:00pm, Shaw Chapel
Speaker, Position, School


Discussion ForumTitle
Monday, April XX, 1:00pm, Library Gallery
Speaker, Position, School