Covenant Seminary is pleased to announce the return of the David C. Jones Theology Lectures in 2024. The lectures are named in honor of the late Dr. David C. Jones, long-time Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Covenant, to celebrate his legacy and that of the Seminary’s Reformed theological heritage by providing an important service to our students, faculty, and community.

The Jones Lectures each year focus on a particular area of theological study featuring presentations by a contemporary academic authority in that area. The 2024 edition will feature Dr. Steven J. Duby, Associate Professor of Theology at Phoenix Seminary and author of several books, including the recent Jesus and the God of Classical Theism (Baker Academic, 2022). Dr. Duby will reflect on the relationship between Christ’s person and work and some of the recent Christological debates over the hypostatic union. The lectures will take place on the Covenant Seminary campus Thursday, February 29, and Friday, March 1. More details about the event will be released soon.

Dr. David C. Jones was a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary and a former student of renowned scholar and theologian John Murray, whose classic work Principles of Conduct left an indelible mark on Jones. He began teaching at Covenant Seminary in1967, and over the course of his forty years at the institution taught systematic theology and ethics to generations of students. He also served for a decade as Academic Vice President, wrote the widely praised textbook Biblical Christian Ethics (Baker, 1994), helped lead the Seminary into full accreditation with the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Association of Theological Schools, and was instrumental in bringing Prof. Jerram Barrs to Covenant to teach and later to establish the Francis A. Schaeffer Institute. Dr. Jones was also a preeminent churchman, serving on or chairing many denominational committees for the Presbyterian Church in America and preparing position papers on a variety of challenging moral and ethical topics. A favorite with Covenant students, Dr. Jones was also known for his great love of music, especially for playing the tuba and bluegrass guitar, and would occasionally recruit student musicians to join him as part of a brass quintet during campus chapel services and school picnics. He retired from Covenant in 2007 and went home to the Lord in March 2017. He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Sue Ellen, as well as two sons, Mark and Keith, and their families.  

Rev. Dr. Thomas C. Gibbs, President of Covenant Seminary, remarked, “Dr. David Jones’s life and work are academic and historic pillars of this institution. David’s legacy continues to inform the areas of systematic theology and Christian ethics, and we are thankful for Sue Jones’s enthusiasm and support for the return of this important annual event that bears her late husband’s name. Please join me in giving thanks to God for this unique opportunity at Covenant Seminary.”

For more information on the Jones Lectures, check the Seminary again soon or contact Joel Hathaway, Director of Alumni and Career Services, at joel.hathaway@covenantseminary.edu.