The Rev. Dr. David B. Garner is Chief Academic Officer, Vice President of Global Ministries, and Charles Krahe Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, USA. A graduate of the University of North Carolina (BS, 1987), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM, 1992) and Westminster Theological Seminary (PhD, 2002), David Garner has served in theological education, pastoral ministry, missions, and parachurch ministries since 1986. He has lived and taught in various parts of the world, including Europe, Central America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. From 2003–2007, he served as Director for TE3 (Theological Education for Eastern Europe), a regional theological training ministry based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since 2007, he has taught systematic theology and missiology at Westminster Theological Seminary. While at Westminster, he also served as Pastor of Teaching at Proclamation Presbyterian Church, in Bryn Mawr, PA (2012–2015). His primary theological interests include the doctrine of adoption, Scripture and revelation, Christology, and ecclesiology—with special concern for the faithful interface between the church, theology and mission.
Author and editor of several books and over 100 essays and articles, Garner also served as the Systematic Theology Book Review Editor for Themelios Journal from 2018–2021. In 2016, Garner and several others founded The Southgate Fellowship, a ministry devoted to advance biblical thinking and practice in world mission. Garner continues as President of The Southgate Fellowship.
Representative books and articles (academic and popular):
- “Depravity,” Tabletalk (December 2023).
- “The Reformation of Doctrine: Its Preservation and Progress,” Gospel Reformation Network (November 2023).
- “The Gospel of God Concerning His Beloved Son: Further Steps on a Well-Traveled Text,” Westminster Theological Journal 84 (Fall 2022): 257–79.
- “Redemption Applied,” Tabletalk (April 2019).
- Sons in the Son: The Riches and Reach of Adoption in Christ. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2016.
- How Can I Know For Sure? Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2014.
- Did God Really Say? Affirming the Truthfulness and Trustworthiness of Scripture. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2012.
- “A Sanctified Syllogism,” PlaceforTruth.org (July 2015).
- “High Stakes: Insider Movement Hermeneutics and the Gospel,” Themelios 37:2 (2012): 249-74.
- “Is Sandusky Such a Bad Guy After All?” Reformation21 (July 2012).
- „Библия и традиция” (“The Bible and Tradition”), in Реформацията: История и Съвременни Измерения (Sofia, Bulgaria: New Bulgarian University, 2007).