[1]DALLAS (BP)–Criswell College professor Ergun Caner will resign as assistant professor of theology and church history to accept an associate professorship in the same teaching fields at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. beginning in the fall.
As an alumnus, Caner said he was “forged in the fires of The Criswell College” and credits the training he received while a student for whatever he accomplishes in the Lord’s service.
“We call Criswell students the ‘green berets,’ because they could go anywhere to receive ministerial training, but at TCC, students learn hand-to-hand combat with apologetics, world views and evangelism,” he said.
He said students are expected to be faithful churchmen, soul winners and biblical scholars.
“Criswell College graduates serve in the hardest fields, in barren lands and in anonymity” due to a “boot camp” atmosphere that is “tough, challenging, often excruciating, but always rewarding,” he said.
[2]He thanked Criswell College administrators for giving him the privilege of teachings students “totally abandoned to the will of God.”
In his new assignment at Liberty, Caner hopes to “infuse my students with a burning passion for biblical theology and church history. Without a vibrant appreciation of church history, Christians often become myopic and self-centered,” he said.
Furthermore, he lamented that many young Christians tend to ignore the relevance and importance of theology, preferring to be left alone to worship.
“You cannot have good doxology without having good theology,” he insisted. “The deeper you know the Lord and His Word, the more meaningful and passionate your worship becomes.”
He described Liberty as “the greatest evangelical university on the East Coast, if not the nation,” noting that the student body is among the fastest-growing in the world.
“The faculty, administration and Dr. Falwell have set the bar high,” he said. “I just hope I can keep up.”
After receiving a B.A. from Cumberland College, Caner received the M.A. from The Criswell College, M.Div. and Th.M. from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and completed a D.Min. at Emmanuel Baptist University and a D. Theol. at the University of South Africa.
He spoke at this year’s evangelism conference for Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, provided insight from his perspective as a converted Muslim on numerous talk shows and interviews, addressed Real Evangelism Crusades and is scheduled to speak at the Pastor’s Conference of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix in June.
Along with his brother, Emir, he authored “Unveiling Islam” which highlights the differences between the God of Christianity and Allah of Islam as seen by both brothers, who grew up as Muslims. The book has been nominated for the Christian Booksellers Association Gold Medallion Award with over 100,000 copies in print. Another Kregel release from the Caners is “More Than a Prophet” which answers misconceptions Muslims have about Christianity. An upcoming Broadman and Holman release, “The Sacred Trust,” provides historical sketches of the 52 men who have served as Southern Baptist Convention presidents.
“At the end of the day, I get my greatest joy from three simple things,” Caner said. “I want to be a godly husband to my wife, Jill, a godly father to my son, Braxton Paige, and [a] professor who instills a deep and effervescent passion for theology and history in my students. If tomorrow I faded into obscurity, I would be completely satisfied if I accomplished those goals.”
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