Congratulations to Wheaton College on naming Dr. Philip Graham Ryken as their new President, succeeding Dr. Duane Litfin. He will begin July 1, 2010. [Here is Wheaton’s official announcement.]
[Watch Dr. Ryken’s announcement to his people here, where he tells the whole story.]
Dr. Ryken, son of Wheaton professor Leland Ryken, joined the pastoral staff at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1995, then became the senior pastor in 2000 after James Montgomery Boice went to be with the Lord.
It is hard to overstate what good news this is, making me quite hopeful for the future of Wheaton. The Presidency of a college and graduate school like Wheaton is one filled with great challenges, and we should pray diligently for Dr. Ryken. (If you need some suggestions for how to pray for higher-ed institutions, I’ve found this very helpful.)
Here is some biographical info:
Family
- Married to Elisabeth (Lisa) Maxwell Ryken (1987)
- Five children (1993, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004)
Education
- B. A., Wheaton College (1988)
- M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary (1992)
- D.Phil. [in historical theology], University of Oxford (1995) [dissertation on Thomas Boston]
Boards and Councils
- Wheaton College Board of Trustees
- Westminster Theological Seminary Board of Trustees
- The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Council Member
- The Gospel Coalition Council Member
Interests
When I am not playing with my kids, I enjoy shooting hoops, reading writers like Marilynne Robinson and Shusaku Endo, and pondering the relationship between Christianity and American culture.
Selected Books
Here are some of the books he has published:
On Christ and Culture
- Art for God’s Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts
- My Father’s World: Meditations on Christianity and Culture
- He Speaks to Me Everywhere: Meditations on Christianity and Culture
Bible Resources
- Ryken’s Bible Handbook, with Leland Ryken and Jim Wilhoit
- The ESV Literary Study Bible, with Leland Ryken
- Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory
- Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope
- Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters [forthcoming]
Other Books