Dr. John Oswalt
Visiting Distinguished Professor of Old Testament
Dr. John Oswalt returned to the Asbury Theological Seminary faculty in 2009 as visiting distinguished professor of Old Testament. This is his third term on Asbury Seminary’s faculty, having first served from 1970 to 1982 as professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages, and again from 1989 to 1999 as Professor of Old Testament.
He has also served as research professor of Old Testament at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Miss., from 1999 to 2009, was president of Asbury College from 1983 to 1986, a member of the faculty of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., from 1986 to 1989, and Interim President of Wesley Biblical Seminary, Ridgeland, MS from April 2019 through March 2020.
He is the author or editor of 19 books, the most notable of which are the two-volume commentary on the book of Isaiah in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament. His most recent books, appearing in 2025, are a two-volume commentary on the books of Kings in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series. He has also written numerous articles that have appeared in Bible Encyclopedias, scholarly journals, and religious periodicals. He was the General Editor, Prophets for the New Living Translation. He is an ordained minister in the Global Methodist Church with membership in the Mid-South Annual Conference. He has served as a part-time pastor in congregations in New England and Kentucky, and is a frequent speaker in conferences, camps and local churches.
Oswalt received a B.A. from Taylor University; a B.D. and Th.M. from Asbury Seminary; and a M.A. and Ph.D. from Brandeis University.
He is married to the former Karen Kennedy, and they have three children and five grandchildren.