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John McRay

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John McRay
Born17 December 1931 Edit this on Wikidata
Holdenville Edit this on Wikidata
Died24 August 2018 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 86)
Alma mater
OccupationUniversity teacher, New Testament scholar, archaeologist Edit this on Wikidata
Employer
WorksArchaeology and the New Testament, Paul: His Life and Teaching Edit this on Wikidata
Position heldemeritus (Wheaton College, 2002–) Edit this on Wikidata

John Robert McRay (1931 – 2018) was an archaeologist, and professor emeritus of New Testament at Wheaton College (Illinois).[1] He directed archaeological excavations in Israel, and "his articles have appeared in [several] encyclopedias and dictionaires".[2] He "has lectured widely on archaeology and the Bible at various colleges, universities, professional meetings and churches in the United States".[3]

Life

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McRay was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma.[4] His wife's name is Annette and they had three children: Rob, David, and Barrett, and they also had eight grand children and two great-grandchildren.[5]

He died at age 86 on August 24, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee.[4]

Education

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In 1956 McRay earned a M.A. at Harding College, with the thesis The fact and nature of eternal punishment in the New Testament. He completed his Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of Chicago in 1967.[5] He also studied at the Hebrew University, at the École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem, and at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.[2][6]

Teaching

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From 1956 to 2002, McRay had taught at four colleges: Harding University, Lipscomb University, Middle Tennessee State University and Wheaton College.[3] After McRay got his PhD, he went on to teach at Middle Tennessee State University, David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University), and Harding Graduate School.[5] From 1980 McRay joined the Wheaton's faculty, and until 2002 (for more than fifteen years), he taught in biblical studies at Wheaton College.[7] When he retired, he was awarded emeritus status.[7]

Excavating teams

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McRay supervised excavating teams in the Holy Land for almost 8 years in Caesarea, Sepphoris, and Herodium in Israel.[2] He also was an expert in the languages, cultures, geography, and history of Israel-Palestine.[5]

Organizations

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McRay was associate to the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, American Schools of Oriental Research, and a member of the editorial boards of Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin, Archaeology in the Biblical World and the Bulletin for Biblical Research, published by Institute for Biblical Research.[2]

Works

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  • McRay, John (1956). The fact and nature of eternal punishment in the New Testament (M.A. Harding College 1956). OCLC 457384212.

Books

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  • Alfred J. Hoerth; John McRay (2019). The Bible Archaeology: An Exploration of the History and Culture of Early Civilizations. Lion Hudson Plc. ISBN 9780857216977.
  • John McRay (2008). Archaeology and the New Testament. Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801036088.
  • John McRay (2003). Paul: His Life and Teaching. Baker Academic. ISBN 9780801024030.
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References

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  1. ^ "Archaeology and the New Testament by: John McRay". Baker Publishing Group. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  2. ^ a b c d Lee Strobel (2010). "The fourth interview: John McRay Ph.D.". Case for Christ/Case for Faith Compilation. Zondervan. p. 89. ISBN 9780310865841.
  3. ^ a b William A. Dembski; Michael R. Licona, eds. (2010). Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Science. Baker Books. p. 269. ISBN 9781441211798.
  4. ^ a b "Dr. John Robert McRay 1931 - 2018". Tennessean.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b c d "John McRay, Ph.D." Wheaton College: School of Biblical and Theological Studies. Archived from the original on 2021-08-05.
  6. ^ Lee Strobel (2009). "Interview: John McRay, PhD". The Case for Christmas: A Journalist Investigates the Identity of the Child in the Manger. Zondervan. p. 40. ISBN 9780310858140.
  7. ^ a b David B. Capes (27 August 2018). "John McRay, RIP". Thoughts on the New Testament... and Other Stuff by David B Capes.