Steven Duby, a noted theologian and author, has been appointed as an associate professor of systematic theology at Phoenix Seminary, President Brian Arnold announced on June 7, 2022. Duby, who has been serving at Phoenix on a temporary provost appointment, officially began his new role on May 13.
In hiring someone of Duby’s stature, Phoenix Seminary has signaled its commitment to establishing a seminary in the Southwest that offers the best training in integrating systematic theology and scriptural exegesis. Among his specialties, Duby is advancing the scholarly conversation in theology proper.
“In addition to offering students the highest level of training in biblical studies and biblical languages, Dr. Duby’s appointment demonstrates our commitment to becoming the premier place to study systematic theology for the building up of healthy churches in Phoenix, the Southwest, and the world,” Arnold said.
Duby has been teaching at Phoenix since 2021. Prior to that, he spent seven years in a similar role at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix.
“I am extremely grateful to serve at Phoenix Seminary,” Duby said. “The blend of serious scholarship with a commitment to the life of the church and preparing leaders to shepherd the church fits exactly with what I have always hoped to do.”
Duby is planning to continue teaching courses in core systematic theology and hermeneutics, as well as a Christology elective.
“I am committed to showing how the concepts, distinctions, and patterns of thinking in systematic theology emerged from biblical exegesis in the first place,” he said. “That can take the form of putting several biblical texts side-by-side — perhaps ones that appear to stand in tension — and pointing out how certain distinctions or concepts need to be invoked in order to do justice to the texts and exhibit their coherence.”
Duby has contributed significant scholarly works on the doctrine of God and Christology. His latest book, Jesus and the God of Classical Theism: Biblical Christology in Light of the Doctrine of God, officially released today through Baker Academic.
In his endorsement of the book, Biola University (Calif.) professor of theology Fred Sanders noted the following: “This wonderfully helpful book shows how to take up the Bible’s passionate presentation of Jesus without letting go of the traditional high doctrine of God. Patiently addressing recent worries while carefully engaging the full witness of Scripture, Duby reunites theological goods that have too often been sundered from each other.”
In writing the book, Duby said he wanted to explore how a robust doctrine of God — one that some might think conflicts with the Bible’s Christology — actually coheres with and reinforces that Christology.
“I am hoping to show how divine attributes like immutability, impassibility, and simplicity fit with biblical Christology, including themes like Christ’s interaction with the Father and Spirit, the unity of the person of Christ, and the genuineness of Christ’s human experience and suffering,” he said.
Some of Duby’s other published works include God in Himself: Scripture, Metaphysics, and the Task of Christian Theology (IVP, 2019); and Divine Simplicity: A Dogmatic Account (Bloomsbury, 2016). He also has a commentary on Habakkuk slated for release in 2024, part of Bloomsbury’s T&T Clark International Theological Commentary series.
“The commentary prioritizes low-flying observations on the text, with much of the systematic theology material in the background informing the exegetical judgments,” Duby said.
“Dr. Duby is well-recognized as a leading theologian,” according to J. Michael Thigpen, Phoenix’s provost and executive vice president. “His most recent work, Jesus and the God of Classical Theism, demonstrates how deep theological reflection and robust biblical exegesis reinforce one another to produce the very best theological work. This is the kind of work we want our students to engage in and to model in their ministry — attentiveness to what the church has learned and formulated over the centuries, to the nuances and details of the biblical text, and to contemporary theological and biblical studies. Dr. Duby brings a wealth of knowledge with a winsome and humble disposition that challenges our students to think deeply and carefully about the great truths of our faith.”
Duby, who grew up in Michigan, began following the Lord in high school after hearing the gospel at his best friend’s church. He received his M.Div. from Denver Seminary and his Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He and his wife, Jodi, have four children.
