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Karen Swallow Prior
Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture
Discipline: English
Teaching Since: 1989
Area: College Faculty
View Curriculum Vitae
Email: kprior@sebts.edu
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CONTACT Karen Swallow Prior
Education
B.A. Daemen College 1987
M.A. SUNY Buffalo 1991
Ph.D. SUNY Buffalo, 1999
Bio
Karen Swallow Prior, PhD, is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She is the author of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012) Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014), and On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She is host of the popular podcast Jane and Jesus. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, Books and Culture and other places. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, a Senior Fellow at the International Alliance for Christian Education, a Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture and is a former member of the Faith Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States. She and her husband live on a 100-year-old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books.
The Abstract of Principles has served as a guiding document since Southeastern’s founding. In April 2001, Trustees revised the institutional bylaws to include the 2000 revision of the Baptist Faith and Message along with the Abstract of Principles as the official articles of faith for the school. Since then, faculty have been asked to state in writing that these documents represent their personal beliefs without mental hesitation or reservation and they committed themselves to teach in accordance with and not contrary to these statements of faith.
In addition to the articles of faith, Southeastern further recognizes two documents that clarify beliefs on critical issues. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy reflects Southeastern’s commitment to biblical authority. The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood addresses the issue of biblical manhood and womanhood. These documents serve as guidelines and affirmations of convictions and beliefs that are already expressed in Southeastern’s statement of faith. Members of the Faculty commit to teach in accordance with and not contrary to the doctrines expressed in these documents.
The faculty of Southeastern published the booklet, “Here we stand! This We Believe!” to introduce the statements of faith signed by the faculty and the affirmation statements endorsed by the faculty. The fifth document in the booklet is the Nashville Statement, which is not a formally recognized document of the school but expresses the position of the school on gender and sexuality.