GREENEVILLE – Tusculum University will provide another opportunity for community members to grow in their faith and learn about Christianity in the Middle East when the popular Theologian-In-Residence series returns in February.
Dr. Ramy N. Marcos, pastor of Erwin Presbyterian Church, will serve as the speaker for the four-session series in Chalmers Conference Center, which is inside the Scott M. Niswonger Commons. The dates and times for his presentations are Feb. 7, Feb. 14, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28, all Fridays, at 10 a.m. Each session lasts about two hours, with Dr. Marcos’ presentation followed by questions from the audience.
“Theologian-In-Residence is one of our great traditions at Tusculum, and it enables community members to advance their knowledge of Christianity in a meaningful way,” said Dr. Chris Shumate, assistant vice president of student affairs and campus minister at Tusculum. “The university is proud of its rich Presbyterian heritage, and we are pleased to offer Dr. Marcos’ insights and extensive knowledge on an important subject. The community will benefit greatly from these talks.”
The breakdown of Dr. Marcos’ presentations, under the theme of “Christianity in the Middle East,” is:
· Feb. 7 – “A Living Faith,” a historical introduction to the emergence of Christianity in the region and its diverse traditions as well as tracing eras like Byzantium and Islamic rule
· Feb. 14 – “New Opportunities and Challenges” a look at Christianity during modern times, with a focus on the missionary work in the region and the indigenous responses to the missionaries
· Feb. 21 – “Christian-Muslim Relations,” an examination of Christian-Muslim relations through shared histories and cooperation in the public sphere and the question “How could we understand interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims in the region?”
· Feb. 28 – “The Future of Middle Eastern Christianity,” an analysis of the impact of instability, conflict and sectarian violence on Christian communities
Dr. Marcos is a scholar and minister. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Cairo University. He then studied at the renowned Evangelical Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Cairo, which is the official Egyptian Presbyterian seminary of the Synod of the Nile, earning a bachelor’s degree in theology and a Master of Arts in theological studies.
Next, he obtained a scholarship to attend Yale Divinity School, where he obtained a Master of Sacred Theology. He concluded his academic pursuits by earning his doctorate in inter-religious studies from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in Connecticut.
Dr. Marcos has published extensively. The thesis for his Master of Arts in theological studies was “The Gospel of Mary and the Question of Dependency on the Gospel of John.” At Yale, he wrote an extended paper “Arabic Maymar of John Chrysostom on the Baptism of Our Lord.” His dissertation was “The Emergence of the Evangelical Egyptians: A Historical Study of the Evangelical-Coptic Encounter and Conversion in Late Ottoman Egypt.” He turned this dissertation into a book, which was released earlier this year. He has written numerous articles, book reviews, papers and books in Arabic and English.
As a minister, Dr. Marcos has served as the pastor of Erwin Presbyterian since July 2023. Previously, he was the pastor of Nazlat al-Nakhl Presbyterian Church, al-Minyā, Upper Egypt, for seven years. He has abundant teaching experience and will be an adjunct faculty member, teaching World Religions, at Tusculum during the spring semester.
In addition to speaking English and Arabic, he is able to read French and is proficient in Biblical Greek, Biblical Hebrew and Syriac.
“I am grateful for the invitation to share important historical information and delve into modern times as we to contribute to people’s understanding of Christianity in the Middle East,” Dr. Marcos said. “This is a fascinating topic, and the presentations and the conversations and questions that flow from them will provide a fuller understanding of that region of the world for the audience. I look forward to the discussions and hearing the perspectives of everyone who attends the lectures.”
Tusculum has held Theologian-In-Residence for more than 30 years and hosted a variety of speakers discussing spiritual and historical subjects. Registration is required. To register, please visit <https://site.tusculum.edu/theologian-in-residence-registration/>. Anyone with questions can email Dr. Shumate at [email protected].
The lectures are free and breakfast items will be provided. The university welcomes donations to help defray the costs of Theologian-In-Residence as well as support Tusculum’s other ministries. Contributions may be made at any of the lectures or by visiting <https://ssl.charityweb.net/tusculum/> and choosing Theologian-In-Residence in the drop-down menu. Checks can be mailed to the Office of Institutional Advancement, P.O. Box 5040, Greeneville, TN, 37745.
Additional information about Tusculum’s ministries is available at <https://site.tusculum.edu/campus-ministries/>.
To learn more about the university, please visit www.tusculum.edu.
