Jonathan D. Watson
Professor of Christian Studies
Department(s)
College of Christian Studies, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Chaplaincy Ministry, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Christian Studies, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Family and Children’s Ministry, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Student MinistryCredentials
B.A. in Christian Studies from Ouachita Baptist University (2000)
M.Div. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (2005)
Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (2015).
About Jonathan D. Watson
Dr. Jonathan Watson serves as Professor of Christian Studies and Executive Director of the Faith and Learning Institute. He received his Doctor of Philosophy in systematic theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Ft. Worth, TX) and started teaching at CSU in 2015. As Executive Director of the Faith and Learning Institute takes a lead role in helping the University and its faculty pursue excellence in teaching and research that effectively integrates the Christian faith. His classroom ministry and teaching focus is on the doctrine of God and the Church. He wants his students to grow in knowledge of God both intellectually and experientially so that they might worship him more fully and fervently in all aspects of their lives. His dissertation considered the relationship between baptism, instruction, and communion (esp. first communion), and was published in 2021 by Lexham Press in their Studies in Systematic and Historical Theology Series. His research interests include the nature of God and the church, especially the triunity of God and the nature of church fellowship and its expression in worship through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Dr. Watson, his wife Karen, and their four children attend Northwood Baptist Church (North Charleston, SC), where he serves as the Associate Pastor of Ministry Training.
"Initially, I was drawn the CSU's Christian identity and the wonderful collegiality that I found in Christian Studies. I've watched the university continue to grow and deepen in it's overall commitment to the task of intellectual disciple-making. The university's stated founding principle is The Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20). Helping the next generation see and savor Christ as King and understand how his kingdom and authority encompass every discipline taught at CSU is a task that gets me up in the morning. The commitment of the university to pursue this task with faithfulness and vigor is nothing short of refreshing. Parents and students need institutions that are unapologetically Christian and unafraid to face the challenges in front of us. At the same time, we need institutions who are both winsome and wise in how they engage cultural issues and challenges and who graduate students well-prepared to engage the world in similar fashion when they leave. CSU is such an institution."
Awards
Top 10 Finalist, Excellence in Teaching Award, CSU, 2020–2021 and 2022–2023
Signature Experiences
Dr. Watson is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). He has served in several leadership roles at CSU including Director of the Master of Arts in Christian Studies Program (Online; 2016–2018), Chair of the College of Christian Studies (Fall 2020–2026), and Executive Director of the Faith and Learning Institute (May 2025–Present).
Recent Scholarly Work & Publications
Books
• In the Name of Our Lord: Four Models of the Relationship between Baptism, Catechesis, and Communion. Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021.
Articles and Chapters
• “Chapter 5: Trusting our Ancient Text” in Ancient Text, Modern World, edited by Jonathan Denton (Randall House, 2023).
• “The Ongoing Use of Baptism: A Hole in the Baptist (Systematic) Baptistry.” Southwestern Journal of Theology, 61, no. 1 (Fall 2018): 3–27.
Reviews
• Review of Amidst Us Our Belovèd Stands: Recovering Sacrament in the Baptist Tradition by Michael A. G. Haykin. In Southeastern Theological Review, 15, no. 2 (2024): 99–100.
• Review of Contemplating God with the Great Tradition: Recovering Trinitarian Classical Theism by Craig A. Carter. In Southeastern Theological Review, 14, no. 1 (2023): 148–50.
• Review of Hearers and Doers: A Pastor's Guide to Making Disciples Through Scripture and Doctrine by Kevin J. Vanhoozer. In Midwestern Journal of Theology 20, no. 2 (2021): 128–29.
• Review of “He Descended to the Dead”: An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday by Matthew Y. Emerson. In Southeastern Theological Review 12, no. 1 (2021): 142–44.