Paul Blair (PhD candidate)

Origin
Kentucky, USA

Education
BS, Biology, Virginia Military Institute
MDiv, Asbury Theological Seminary
MAR (Biblical Literature), Asbury Theological Seminary
French Language, History, and Culture, University of Paris Sorbonne
MA, Theology, Asbury Theological Seminary

Thesis topic
The theological contribution of Charles Williams, his understanding of an image: (1) It exists in itself, (2) It must derive from something greater than itself, (3) It must represent in itself that greatness from which it derives. Thus we have Williams’s maxim! "This also is Thou, neither is this Thou." In those words he encapsulated the Incarnation of Christ and His “In-Godding” of His Bride, the Church. ‘He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me’, Mt.10:40, is part of Williams's perception of the mediatorial nature of personhood.  His primary focus is the possibility that, “falling in love” and romantic love in general can be an image that leads to a Divine encounter with Christ. His best supporting critical analysis is his work The Figure of Beatrice. He interprets Beatrice in the works of Dante Alighieri as an example of how the Triune God uses human love as a means of redemption. Paul's research is being supervised by Trevor Hart and Michael Partridge.

Other information
Paul is married and has three adult children and two grandchildren. Over the last four decades Paul has pastored churches, been a church-planting missionary in France, an evangelist, and for some of that time has led a Christian organization. Paul also served as Adjunct Professor Wesley Biblical Seminary. In 2006 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Wesley Biblical Seminary.

Contact information
psb25@st-andrews.ac.uk

 

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