Biography

Dr. Payton spent eight years as a pastor before joining the Redeemer community. He has worked at Redeemer University College for 21 years and he now has Professor status in the History department. His classes focus on Byzantine History, which lasted for more than 1100 years. Dr. Payton believes that this empire needs to be studied by western Christians because of the large Christian influences that were recurrent within Byzantine history.

Dr. Payton also teaches classes on Church History, drawing on a book that he compiled entitled A Patristic Treasury which contains key writings from many of the early church fathers. He has done extensive study on the church fathers and church history, and has written a great deal of articles on the field of study.

Dr. Payton is currently involved in numerous research projects. His book, Light from the Christian East: An Introduction to the Orthodox Tradition, was published in the summer of 2007 by InterVarsity Press. He completed a book-length treatment, The Victory of the Cross: Orthodoxy on Salvation,. He has condensed and extensively revised the English translation of Against Heresies, the significant work by the 2nd-century Church father, Irenaeus. This manuscript, entitled Irenaeus on the Christian Faith, will be published soon. As well, he is working with a literary agent on revisions to his “Turning Points in the History of Eastern Europe,” in order to prepare it for publication.

From 1998 to 2006, Dr. Payton worked for CAREE (Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe) as executive secretary. In November 2006, he was elected the president of CAREE, which is a UN-endorsed NGO which has worked in Eastern Europe for over 40 years. In September 2007, Dr. Payton attended the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Romania, which discussed how Europeans can be faithful Christians in a Europe which is becoming increasingly secularized.

Education

James R. Payton Jr. received his B.A. (Religion) and M.A. (Theology) from Bob Jones University. At Westminster Theological Seminary he completed a Masters in Theology in Church History, along with his Masters of Divinity. He went on to receive his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in the Intellectual History of Early Modern Europe.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]