DR. MARK KREITZER
College of Theology
Title: Associate Professor
Years at GCU: This is my fifth year.
Academic degrees: B.A. in Social Science with a Missions Emphasis; M.Div. in Missions; D.Missiology with an emphasis in the historical paradigm shift in 20th Century South African Social Theology and Mission away from Apartheid; Ph.D. in the area of developing a biblical and covenantal theology of ethnicity from Genesis to Revelation.
Faculty scholarship, 2015-2019:
● 2019. Simplicity, Analogy, and the Trinity: Restoring the Doctrine of Father-God from Contextualization Gone Awry 1. "Global Missiology" 16/4 (July). (Published under “Contextualization”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2019. The Eagle Vision and Building Wholistic Mission. Evangelical Missiological Society, South West Regional Conference at Evangelical Free Church, Fullerton, Calif. (Friday, Ap. 5) and via Zoom at National Conference (Sept. 21)
● 2018. God is Not Simple: The Complex-Simplicity of Father-God. Restoring the Doctrine of Father-God from Contextualization Gone Awry, part 2. Presentation for the faculty colloquium, Grand Canyon University. (Nov. 28)
● 2018. Updated Lecture: “The Paradox of Global Secularization and Mission to All Peoples.” Evangelical Missiological Society, National Conference at Dallas International University, Dallas (Oct. 12)
Lecture Tour: Republic of South Africa (June 2018)
● 2018. Facing New Anti-Christian Movements: Islam and Contextualization (June 19, Mukhanyo Bible College Consultation. Mukhanyo, RSA)
● 2018. Covenantal Understanding of Ethnicity based on Ph.D. dissertation by Mark R. Kreitzer (June 17, Reformed Church of Wonderboompoort, Pretoria, RSA)
● 2018. Decolonization: Christian Perspectives with special emphasis upon Mark R. Kreitzer's Ph.D. dissertation (June 15, AROS School of Education. Pretoria, RSA).
● 2018. Private Property Rights, Mother Language Instruction, and Decolonization: Biblical Perspectives with question and answer time (June 13, Afriforum, Gauteng, RSA).
● 2018. “The Bible on Property” (June 12, Reformed Church of Potchefstroom, Potchefstroom, RSA).
● 2018. “Private Property Rights, based on "Manifesto for Christians in Africa" by Mark Kreitzer, C. L. Jordaan (June 11, Reformed Church of Wonderboompoort, Pretoria, RSA)
● 2018. “Biblical Anthropology” (June 11, Wycliffe Biblical Academy, Hatfield, Gauteng, RSA)
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● 2018. “The Servant of Yahweh Christology and the Task to Disciple All Peoples.” Paper presented at the South West, Evangelical Theological Society Conference, Grand Canyon University. (April 13)
● 2018. “The Paradox of Global Secularization and Mission to All Peoples.” Paper presented at the South West, Evangelical Missiological Society Conference, Biola University, La Mirada, Calif. (March 23)
● 2018. Presentation: “The 14 C's of God's Mission to the World.” Missions Conference, Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA). Auburn, Ala. (Feb. 25).
● 2018. Keynote Message: “God's Mandate to Disciple All Nations (Ps. 96).” Missions Conference, Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA). Auburn, Ala. (Feb. 25).
● 2018. Gracing the Worship Wars. Presentation for the faculty colloquium, Grand Canyon University. (Jan. 10)
● 2017. Review: "Contagious Disciple Making: Leading Others on a Journey of Discovery." Global Missiology 14/4 (July). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2017. “Biblical Glory-Covering Theme and the Healing of Shame: Implications for the Cross-Cultural Proclamation of the Gospel.” Paper presented at the Honor-Shame Conference (Honor, Shame, and the Gospel: Reframing Our Message for 21st-Century Ministry), June. (Presented by Nancy C. Kreitzer, MA).
Lecture Tour: Indonesia (May 2017)
● 2017. “Abraham and Paul on Starting Communities Following Isa al Masih.” Lectures presented at STTIE Bible College, Surabaya, Indonesia, May. (Sponsored by Indopartners).
● 2017. “The World Christian and Our Mission to the World.” Lectures presented at YBKP Bible College Church Planters training, Surabaya, Indonesia, May. (Sponsored by Indopartners).
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● 2017. “The Older Brother-Firstborn Theme in Scripture: Majority World Christological Implications for Theological Education.” Paper presented at the South West, Evangelical Missiological Society Conference, April. (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, Calif.).
● 2017. Review: "God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth." Global Missiology 14/1 (January). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2017. Solus Christus. Presentation for Reformation 500 Conference, Grand Canyon University, Oct. 30.
● 2017. Biblical Glory-Covering Theme: Implications for the Cross-Cultural Application of the Gospel. Global Missiology 15/1 (October). (Published under “Featured Articles”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2017. Review: "Representing Christ: A Vision for the Priesthood of All Believers" by Uche Anizor and Hank Voss. Global Missiology 15/1 (January). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● Review: "Representing Christ: A Vision for the Priesthood of All Believers" by Uche Anizor and Hank Voss. Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies. 2/1 (Fall).
● 2017. Review: "God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth." Global Missiology 14/1 (January). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2016. "Rescuing the Doctrine of Father-God from Contextualization Gone Awry: God and Time as a Test Case of Syncretism." Global Missiology 13/4 (July). (Published under “Featured Articles”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2016. Review: "Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science." Global Missiology 13/3 (April). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2016. Review: "Miraculous Movements: How Hundreds of Thousands of Muslims are Falling in Love with Jesus." Global Missiology 13/2 (January). (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
● 2015. Review: "Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?" By Tom Doyle with Greg Webster. Global Missiology 12/2 (January) (Published under “Review & Preview”). www.globalmissiology.org.
Notable research in your field:
My specialty is the interface of biblical and systematic theology with missions. The latest research is on the biblical doctrine of God as Father instead of an abstract and “simple” divinity as a distant power beyond all things as is the norm, especially in academic and philosophical theology. The thesis of the research is that our Father created all peoples of earth to know and understand Him as He reveals himself in Scripture without the substrate of Neo-Platonic philosophy. That wisdom tradition is not built from Scripture and robs all the peoples of earth of a truly personal Father. He desires a truly interpersonal relationship through Christ by the Spirit with a bitterly estranged and rebellious humanity. To this end, I have published two articles in Global Missiology with a third in the hopper, to be published this month with GM as well. The hope is that these articles will result in a book titled: "The Forgotten Father: Recovering the Doctrine of Father-God from Contextualization Gone Awry."
Furthermore, my published Ph.D. dissertation remains one of the most definitive volumes on the Father’s heart for all clans, tribes, peoples and nations, titled: "The Concept of Ethnicity in the Bible: A Theological Analysis" (Edwin Mellen).
Notable employment in your field: Before coming to Phoenix and GCU, my wife and I taught from 2009 to 2015 at Kosin University in Busan, South Korea, where I was the Director of the Masters of Divinity (English) program, Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology and Missions. I had the privilege of designing the curriculum for the program, designed to train pastors and church planters from the majority world. The greatest proportion of our student came from West Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi). The next largest cohort came from the Philippine Islands.
What are you most passionate about in your field? My greatest passion is to see all peoples and nations discipled with the Gospel of our Lord so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the seas. This has informed my academic pursuits for 45 years! I sensed a call to missions when I was only 9 years old.
What aspect of your teaching style is the most distinctive and/or memorable? I greatly enjoy interaction with students’ questions, use Powerpoints with a lot of diagrams and video links, and desire to have a dynamic lecture style, especially in biblical studies classes.
What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? I have been a runner for my whole adult life, but a series of injuries over the last four years have put that mostly on hold so my wife walk and pray every day around our neighborhood. We enjoy hiking in the White Tank Mountains, Prescott, Sedona and Payson. We also have picked up a love for doing puzzles and, of course, I love to read and learn!
What is something interesting about you that most people don't know? I have visited, gone on a mission trip to, and/or lived in five countries in the Americas, 11 countries in Europe, and six countries in Asia, including North Korea.
