Stephen Charles Mott
Encyclopedia
Stephen Charles Mott is one of the few pioneers among Evangelical
Christians in the U.S.
in the teaching and academic study of social ethics since the early 1970s.
He has a BD
degree from Wheaton College
, Illinois
, and a Ph.D.
degree from Harvard University
, where he studied under New Testament
scholar Krister Stendahl
and social ethicist James Luther Adams
.
He is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church
and had been Professor
of Christian Social Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
in South Hamilton, Massachusetts
for almost a quarter century. When he started teaching in the early 1970s, the courses he offered at Gordon-Conwell were unique across all evangelical theological schools in any English-speaking countries at the time. These courses included, most notably, The Social Stance of Jesus and Biblical Social Ethics, which involved discussions on issues that were virtually untouched in the western Evangelical
world in those days.
On the one hand they exemplified Mott's scholarly orientation in the interdisciplinary integration of Biblical study and social ethics, while at the same time sharpened Gordon-Conwell's image of being a socially concerned institution in that period. Concomitantly, he also pioneered in offering a joint course between Gordon-Conwell and Harvard Divinity School
, which he team-taught with Prof. Harvey Cox
from the latter school.
In 1995 he left his teaching position and became pastor of Cochosett United Methodist Church in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
, from which he retired in summer 2005. Since his retirement, he is serving part-time as a volunteer with the Essex County Community Organization and is on the Leadership Team of Christians Supporting Community Organizing, president of the James Luther Adams Foundation, co-chair of the Provisional Care Committee of the New England Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (UMC), and on the Board of Directors of North Shore Community Action Programs.
His most important books are Biblical Ethics and Social Change (Oxford University Press, rev. ed. 2011 [1982]) and A Christian Perspective on Political Thought (Oxford University Press, 1993). Both are widely read among scholars and students who are concerned with Christian engagement with the society, especially from a Biblical perspective.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christians in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the teaching and academic study of social ethics since the early 1970s.
He has a BD
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree from Wheaton College
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he studied under New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
scholar Krister Stendahl
Krister Stendahl
Krister Stendahl was a Swedish theologian and New Testament scholar, and Church of Sweden Bishop of Stockholm. He also served as professor and professor emeritus at Harvard Divinity School.-Life:...
and social ethicist James Luther Adams
James Luther Adams
James Luther Adams , an American professor at Harvard Divinity School, Andover Newton Theological School, and Meadville Lombard Theological School, and a Unitarian parish minister, was the most influential theologian among American Unitarian Universalists in the 20th century.Adams was born in...
.
He is an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
and had been Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Christian Social Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary is an evangelical theological seminary whose main campus is based in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, with three other campuses in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina and Jacksonville. The current president of Gordon-Conwell is Dennis Hollinger...
in South Hamilton, Massachusetts
South Hamilton, Massachusetts
South Hamilton is that part of Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States that the Postal Service has assigned the zip code 01982; otherwise it is indistinguishable from Hamilton...
for almost a quarter century. When he started teaching in the early 1970s, the courses he offered at Gordon-Conwell were unique across all evangelical theological schools in any English-speaking countries at the time. These courses included, most notably, The Social Stance of Jesus and Biblical Social Ethics, which involved discussions on issues that were virtually untouched in the western Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
world in those days.
On the one hand they exemplified Mott's scholarly orientation in the interdisciplinary integration of Biblical study and social ethics, while at the same time sharpened Gordon-Conwell's image of being a socially concerned institution in that period. Concomitantly, he also pioneered in offering a joint course between Gordon-Conwell and Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, which he team-taught with Prof. Harvey Cox
Harvey Cox
Harvey Gallagher Cox, Jr. is one of the preeminent theologians in the United States and served as Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at the Harvard Divinity School, until his retirement in October 2009...
from the latter school.
In 1995 he left his teaching position and became pastor of Cochosett United Methodist Church in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
West Bridgewater, Massachusetts
West Bridgewater is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,634 at the 2000 census.- History :West Bridgewater was first settled in 1651 as a part of Olde Bridgewater...
, from which he retired in summer 2005. Since his retirement, he is serving part-time as a volunteer with the Essex County Community Organization and is on the Leadership Team of Christians Supporting Community Organizing, president of the James Luther Adams Foundation, co-chair of the Provisional Care Committee of the New England Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (UMC), and on the Board of Directors of North Shore Community Action Programs.
His most important books are Biblical Ethics and Social Change (Oxford University Press, rev. ed. 2011 [1982]) and A Christian Perspective on Political Thought (Oxford University Press, 1993). Both are widely read among scholars and students who are concerned with Christian engagement with the society, especially from a Biblical perspective.