God

Malcolm Yarnell serves the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention as Research Professor of Theology at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, as Managing Editor of the Southwestern Journal of Theology, and as a Member of the SBC Resolutions Committee. He also serves the Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas as Teaching Pastor and is a Member of the Commission on Baptist Doctrine and Christian Unity with the Baptist World Alliance.

His most recent books are a biblical theology, Who Is the Holy Spirit? (Nashville, 2019), and a philosophical theology, John Locke’s "Letters of Gold" (Oxford, 2017). His most widely reviewed volumes include a biblical theology, God the Trinity (Nashville, 2016), an historical theology, Royal Priesthood in the English Reformation (Oxford, 2014), and a theological method, The Formation of Christian Doctrine (Nashville, 2007). Malcolm and his co-author, David S. Dockery, the President of Southwestern Seminary, just completed a major dogmatics volume, Special Revelation and Scripture (Nashville, forthcoming 2024).

Malcolm has written 9 volumes and edited another 15, while publishing over 150 other academic and popular essays. He earned advanced degrees in theology, history, and biblical studies from Oxford University (2000), Duke University (1996), and Southwestern Seminary (1991). After completing a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Malcolm served for over two decades as the Chief Financial Officer of a real estate investment corporation.

The fifty-seven research students he mentors now serve as church, university, and denominational leaders in the United States, Germany, Ukraine, China, India, Korea, Nigeria, Chile, and the Middle East. He is currently writing the first part of a 3-volume dogmatics called Theology for Every Person. The individual volumes are entitled God, God and His Word, and God and His World. His next three projects include a book on Eighteenth Century London Baptists, a book on Baptist Ecclesiology co-edited with Bart Barber, the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a book on Anabaptist Theology co-authored with Michael Wilkinson.

"Every human being was created by the One, true God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In his new book, God, Malcolm Yarnell explains who God is and how we can know and interact with Him in a personal, powerful, and positive relationship. If you are looking for God, this first volume of ’Theology for Every Person’ will help you find Him. I highly recommend this series to you."
–Steve Gaines, Pastor, Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, twice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and author of Revival: When God Comes to Church

"Malcolm Yarnell has been set apart as a leading figure in Southern Baptist theology, a true servant who shares the wisdom of Scripture with humility and authority. ’Theology for Every Person’ helps those searching for a deeper connection with God by showing how we can know, trust, and come to Him through the revelation of Christ in the gospel. In this first volume, Yarnell guides us through profound truths about God in a way which will enlighten everyone. But this isn’t just an intellectual journey; it’s also a transformative exploration which invites readers to encounter the Truth personally. Malcolm’s work is a testament to the enduring power of theological reflection sprinkled with humility, unity, and a genuine love for the Church, embodying the spirit of his mentor, that ’Gentleman Theologian,’ James Leo Garrett."
–Keith S. Whitfield, Associate Professor of Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Pastor for Theological Development at The Summit Church, and editor of Trinitarian Theology: Theological Models and Doctrinal Application

"Malcolm Yarnell has managed well the mysteries of Biblical revelation. Get this book now to serve God’s people a full course meal of convicting and convincing and to promote passionate higher IQ in the pew. Raise up a host of young Luthers, Calvins, and Carl Henrys by offering to chat regularly with your emerging adults and leaders. Moreover, college and university students assigned God will ascend to the key doctrinal issues—Every professor’s dream! This book by a trusted scholar highlights theological anchor texts in the Scriptures, great quotes from early and medieval church leaders, and conservative evaluations on the dogmatic spectrum from the Reformation to the present. I plan to buy one for every person I mentor!"
–Rodrick K. Durst, Senior Professor of Historical Theology, Gateway Seminary, and author of Reordering the Trinity: Six Movements of God in the New Testament

"Theology is too important to remain in the classroom. In this book, a seasoned theologian builds a bridge between the academy and the church. Yarnell’s first contribution to this trilogy is faithful to the Scripture, interacts with a wide range of Christian thinkers, and explains difficult concepts in understandable prose. I’m grateful for this book and eager to read the subsequent volumes."
–Adam Harwood, Professor of Theology and McFarland Chair of Theology, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of Christian Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Systematic

"This first volume of a projected trilogy in systematic theology is both eminently readable and useful for personal or group study with the questions at the close of each chapter. It makes accessible to those who have not had the benefit of formal theological study both the riches of the Scriptural narrative about our glorious Triune God as well as the 2,000-year-old reflection on that wealth by Christian brothers and sisters down through the ages. It is also a great study for those who have formally studied at a seminary or Bible college. I highly recommend it!"
–Michael A. G. Azad Haykin, Professor of Church History, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of Empire of the Holy Spirit: Reflections on Biblical and Historical Patterns

–"Malcolm Yarnell provides us with a beautiful landscape of theology that will speak to believers from every walk of life. He writes with uncompromising scholarship while delivering enough explanation to give readers an opportunity to grow in knowledge and truth. I believe this important work will help disciples go deeper into God’s perfect Word for generations to come."
–Mark David Forrest, Senior Pastor, Lakeside Baptist Church, Granbury, Texas, and author of Soul Beginnings: Illuminating Genesis 1-11

"Too often theology has been relegated to the ivory tower and made inaccessible. In God, Malcolm Yarnell reminds us that everyone can engage theology because everyone is a theologian. His accessible approach transforms the Bible for believers to help them know and love God better."
–Madison Grace, Provost and Dean of the School of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and editor of Southwestern Journal of Theology