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Candler School of Theology

 

Biography of Professor Thomas E. Frank:

DR. THOMAS E. FRANK is Professor of Religious Leadership and Administration, and Coordinator of the Initiative in Religious Practices and Practical Theology at Candler School of Theology, a graduate school of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He teaches religious leadership, administration, congregational studies, United Methodist history and polity, and directs the program in Methodist Studies.

Professor Frank's primary interest is the history, congregational life, and organizational culture of mainstream Protestant denominations. He is the author of two books on United Methodism, most recently, coauthored with Russell E. Richey, Episcopacy in the Methodist Tradition: Perspectives and Proposals (Abingdon Press 2004). His Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church has been updated in a new edition (Abingdon Press 2006). His book exploring the culture and imagination of local church congregations is entitled The Soul of the Congregation: An Invitation to Congregational Reflection (Abingdon Press 2000). He was the principal writer and consultant for the United Methodist bishops' pastoral letter and episcopal teaching statement on Vital Congregations - Faithful Disciples (Graded Press 1990). He has also explored the relationship of Protestant Christianity and the liberal arts, and is the author of Theology, Ethics, and the Nineteenth Century American College Ideal: Conserving a Rational World (Mellen Research University Press 1993).

Professor Frank's interest in the place of religious congregations and institutions in the settlement of the United States led him to pursue a Master of Heritage Preservation degree at Georgia State University, which he completed in 2006. Among many consulting roles, he serves on the board of directors of Partners for Sacred Places, a national non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, devoted to preservation of historic religious buildings.

Professor Frank has preached and lectured widely in the USA as well as in Korea, Sweden, England, Holland, Poland, and Germany. He has published numerous articles on religious leadership, polity, and congregational studies.

Raised in Kansas and Missouri, Dr. Frank received his BA from Harvard University and his MDiv and PhD degrees from Emory. He was a United Methodist pastor in Missouri for nine years, and taught at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis for a year prior to coming to his present post in 1987. He enjoys lifelong interests in music, poetry, fiction, and writings about nature, architecture, and the sense of place. He is married to Gail R. O'Day, Associate Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs and Almar H. Shatford Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Candler.


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Contact Information

Dr. Thomas E. Frank
Professor of Religious Leadership and Administration
Candler School of Theology
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322
thomas.frank@emory.edu
404.727.6325