Associate Professor of New Testament Language and Literature
Department of Biblical and Exegetical Studies
Personal
Dr. Atkins’ favorite part of teaching is helping students to discover and enjoy the riches of Scripture. He trains students in the nuts and bolts of exegesis but also wants them to learn to feast on the Word. He loves Tyndale’s international flavor because it encourages everyone to recognize their own biases and read Scripture with fresh eyes. Dr. Atkins previously taught in the US at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Marquette University, and Nashotah House Theological Seminary and in the Philippines at Asian Theological Seminary. He’s also worked in business and technology consulting and for several years led a ministry to intellectuals and skeptics at the University of Pennsylvania. He enjoys playing and watching football (a.k.a., soccer) and is a fan of science fiction, fantasy, and detective stories.
Dr. Atkins lives in Amstelveen, Netherlands with his wife, Alice, and their two sons. Alice, a Chinese American born in the Philippines, currently serves as the Associate National Director of Asian American Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA (mem.intervarsity.org/bio/alice-atkins).
Education
B.S.E., Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
B.S., Economics, University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
Th.M., New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL)
Ph.D., New Testament and Early Christian Literature, Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
Areas of Academic Interest
Dr. Atkins’s primary area of research is intertextuality in early Christian literature. His intertextual research revolves around three foci: source and redaction criticism in the Gospels, the NT use of the OT, and the reception of NT books during the second century. His first book, the Doubt of the Apostles and the Resurrection Faith of the Early Church, integrates all three of these foci in its reevaluation of the purpose of the resurrection narratives in Luke and John. His current research and writing projects explore the earliest reception of the Gospels and the origins of the NT canon.
Dr. Atkins’s other research interests include biblical hermeneutics, ancient genres and literary devices, the Corinthian Correspondence, the Pentateuch, early patristic and gnostic literature, and the origins and development of Christology.
Current Administrative Responsibilities
Director of MET Thesis Program
Professional and Ministry Experience
Adjunct Instructor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School-Milwaukee Extension, Milwaukee, WI
Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Greek, Nashotah House Theological Seminary, Nashotah, WI
Lead Instructor, Biblical Interpretation and Theology Program, Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, WI
Lecturer in New Testament and Theology, Marquette University. Milwaukee, WI
Visiting Faculty, New Testament, Asian Theological Seminary, Quezon City, Philippines.
Teaching Assistant, Theology Department, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Teaching Fellow in New Testament Greek, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL
Project Manager, CDI Corporation and IBM Global Services, Chicago, IL
Campus Minister, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Principal Consultant. D. Atkins Consulting, LLC. New York, NY, Hoboken, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA
Associate Consultant, IBM Global Services. New York, NY
Lab Instructor/Teaching Assistant, Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Management Intern, American Management Systems (now CGI Group), Fairfax, VA
Summer Intern, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
