Gather Chapel - Dr. James Wilhoit

Passage: Psalm 131

Dr. James Wilhoit examines biblical humility, using one of the Psalms of David as an example.

Dr. James Wilhoit has been a faculty of Wheaton College since 1981 where he initially taught courses on teaching the Bible and the History and Philosophy of Christian Education. He also teaches a class at Tyndale in the DMin program. Over the years his teaching at Wheaton College has shifted to emphasize Christian Formation through spiritual practices and the role of the Bible in spiritual formation. 

James was born in Seattle, Washington, and when James was four his family moved to Clatskanie, Oregon, a small town in Northwest Oregon. His father, who worked for the Federal Government, had been transferred to an Army base on the Columbia River. They lived in Clatskanie for nine years, and James came to love the woods and water of Oregon and have fond memories of hours spent exploring near his home.

He later moved across the Columbia River to Longview, Washington. He graduated with a BA from the University of Washington with a degree in history, with an emphasis in ancient and medieval history. It was in his late high school and early college years that he grew in his faith. College was a time of spiritual and intellectual growth for him. He is grateful to the ministers from his home church, Longview Community Church, to the wonderful InterVarsity program and Christian students at the University of Washington and to one of his major professors for the nurture she provided. This professor was not a Christian, but she taught him to read texts well and held out the possibility that we could actually come to deeply understand ancient leaders and writers. Her faith in what a careful and contextually informed reading of a text could tell us spurred him on to read the Gospels with greater care.

In his time away from school James enjoys doing things with his family, gardening and service in his church. His wife is a physician who works as a medical director for a large health plan, and they have two wonderful daughters.

Biography and photo taken from http://www.wheaton.edu/Academics/Faculty/W/James-Wilhoit