Southeastern Seminary Establishes the Bruce Little Chair of Christian Philosophy

The Southeastern community also celebrated Associate Professor of Missiology Scott Hildreth’s installation to the pre-existing Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism. Hildreth has taught at Southeastern since 2009.

Endowed chairs play a crucial role in the operation of the institution and the funding of its faculty. These endowments provide perpetual funding in essential disciplines, allowing Southeastern to recruit, retain, and recognize Great Commission faculty who pour their lives into generations of students.

Today, there are 11 endowed chairs at Southeastern, 10 of which were established during President Danny Akin’s tenure. Today represented a special moment in Southeastern’s history with the installation of the newest endowed chair and the reassignment of the oldest.

Little began teaching at Southeastern in 2001 and retired in 2018. During his 17-year tenure, he invested in and mentored countless students. He also served as associate dean of theological studies, director of the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture, and director of the Francis A. Schaeffer Collection.

In addition to serving faithfully in academia, Little’s ministry is marked by a deep love for the local church, where he has served for over 30 years.

“These years in the pastorate profoundly shaped his theological vision,” said Provost Scott Pace, “grounding his later academic work not merely in abstraction but in the lived realities of people wrestling with suffering, doubt, and the deepest questions of existence.”

Pace shared further about Little’s scholarly contributions, which include the two books “God, Why This Evil?” and “A Creation-Order Theodicy: God and Gratuitous Evil.”

“Yet perhaps his greatest legacy is not found merely in his writings or positions, but in his example — a life marked by humility, intellectual integrity, pastoral sensitivity, and a steadfast commitment to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” said Pace.

“It is fitting, therefore, that this endowed chair bears his name — so that future generations might continue the work to which he gave his life: loving God with heart, soul, and mind.”

It is fitting, therefore, that this endowed chair bears his name — so that future generations might continue the work to which he gave his life: loving God with heart, soul, and mind.

During the ceremony, Akin and Little presented the title of the Bruce Little Chair of Christian Philosophy to its inaugural recipient, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ben Holloway. Holloway has faithfully taught at Southeastern since 2018, investing in its student body and whole-heartedly committing himself to the work of equipping students to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission.

“Dr. Holloway has demonstrated a passion for the local church and for theological education that serves the church,” said Pace. “His teaching is marked by clarity, accessibility, and a pastoral concern for students as they prepare for ministry. In many ways, his calling reflects the very model embodied by Dr. Little — a commitment to serious intellectual engagement that is always in service to the gospel and the mission of Christ’s church.”

Following the installments of the Bruce Little Chair and the Bailey Smith Chair, attendees heard from today’s chapel speaker, Jamie Dew, president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and professor of Christian philosophy.

Dew, a graduate of Southeastern, took a moment to express his own appreciation for Little, his long-time mentor.

“You taught me how to pastor. You taught me how to love God with my mind and with my heart and my hands,” Dew said. “I couldn’t be more excited to know that your name will live here, because there are generations of students, people just like me, that you poured your life into. And while it is true that institutions will fade from history and things like chairs will one day fade from history, the impact you made in a generation of us will not.”

To learn more about how you can invest in long-term theological fidelity through our faculty, visit sebts.edu/support-faculty-academic-initiatives.