FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary inaugurated the Dorothy Kelley Patterson Chair of Women's Studies during a Sept. 16 chapel service and installed assistant professor Candi Finch in the position.
The academic endowment was established to honor Dorothy Patterson, wife of Southwestern's president, Paige Patterson, and professor of theology in women's studies at the seminary.
Southwestern Executive Vice President and Provost Craig Blaising described Dorothy Patterson's most cherished roles as wife, mother and grandmother before recounting the contributions she has made toward recovering a biblical understanding of womanhood.
"As she was a supporting wife to Dr. Patterson and all he has done in theology, it became very apparent to her over the years that this issue of women's studies, this issue of femininity and masculinity in our culture and society, is a critical issue in the churches and must be addressed. And the Lord put it upon her heart to do that," Blaising said.
Patterson, along with her husband, were instrumental in establishing women's studies programs at Southwestern and at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where Paige Patterson was president until his election at Southwestern in 2003.
Dorothy Patterson was the only woman in the founding of the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and has authored, coauthored and/or edited more than a dozen books, including "The Study Bible for Women," which received Christian Retailing's top award in 2015 for devotional/study Bibles; the Old and New Testament volumes of the "Women's Evangelical Commentary"; and "The Christian Homemaker's Handbook."
She holds a doctor of ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary; doctor of theology from the University of South Africa; and master of theology degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Paige Patterson preached a sermon from
1 Corinthians 11 during the chapel service, explaining that the biblical model of womanhood is not demeaning to women, as some have suggested. Just as Jesus is one in essence with the Father yet has a different assignment within the Godhead, Patterson said, women are equal in essence with men yet have been given different roles.
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