Truett Professor Inducted into MLK Jr. Collegium of Scholars

Contact: Shelby Cefaratti-Bertin, 254-327-8012 
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Jamal-Dominique Hopkins, Ph.D., associate professor of Christian Scriptures and director of the Black Church Studies Program at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, has been inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity’s Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. Hopkins was among the 59 scholars honored for their research, writing, teaching and mentoring across the disciplines that support the work of peace during a ceremony April 9 at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta. 

“I am grateful for this recognition and honored to be welcomed into this esteemed and august body. Being inducted into the Collegium of Scholars affirms that my scholarship and teaching speak meaningfully to both academic and public arenas,” Hopkins said. “This work is, for me, a calling, and I am humbled by this honor. To God be the glory! My thanks to Dean Lawrence Edward Carter Sr. for his legacy of leadership, to Morehouse College and to the Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity. Congratulations as well to my fellow inductees."

Hopkins is the second member of Truett's faculty to be nominated and selected for the esteemed honor. Tyshawn Gardner, Ph.D., associate professor of preaching, The David E. Garland Endowed Chair in Preaching and assistant director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching, was inducted in 2025. 

Hopkins joined the Truett Seminary faculty in Fall 2022 from Allen University’s Dickerson-Green Theological Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina, where he was founding dean and associate professor of Biblical Languages and Literature. At Truett, he teaches courses in Christian Scriptures, Bible and Black Cinema, and Gospel Music and its Interpretations.

Hopkins earned his undergraduate degree from Howard University, a master’s degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. from University of Manchester. He holds a Pedagogy Fellowship with Yale University Center for Faith and Culture, where he is part of the Christ and Being Human Project focused on revitalizing Christian higher education, and a Fellow with the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies. He has published numerous articles related to the Dead Sea Scrolls and biblical studies and Black religious thought.

A member of the Society of Biblical Literature and an editorial board member of Firebrand Magazine, Hopkins is an ordained Elder, having served in pastoral ministry in California, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and in Manchester, England.

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ABOUT GEORGE W. TRUETT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY 

George W. Truett Theological Seminary is an orthodox, evangelical, multi-denominational school in the historic Baptist tradition embedded into Baylor, a Christian R1 University. Truett’s mission is to equip God-called people for gospel ministry in and alongside Christ’s Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Baptist World Alliance, Truett Seminary provides theological education leading to the Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Ministry, Master of Arts in Contextual Witness and Innovation, Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology and Food Justice, Master of Arts in Theology and Healthcare, Master of Arts in Theology and Sports Studies (online), Master of Theological Studies, Doctor of Ministry and Ph.D. in Preaching. In addition to distinctive programs, institutes and centers, Truett Seminary also offers joint degrees through Baylor University school/college partnerships in social work, business, law, music and education. Besides its flagship Baugh-Reynolds Campus in Waco, the Seminary also has locations in Houston and San Antonio. Visit the Truett Seminary website to learn more.