Fuller Seminary Adds George Fox University Administrator to Its Board

Fuller Theological Seminary has elected Dr. Joseph Clair, a George Fox University administrator and theology professor, to its Board of Trustees, the Pasadena-based institution announced Tuesday.

The board approved Clair’s appointment during its May 18-19 meeting. He currently serves as associate provost for the Division of Humanities, Honors, and Education at George Fox University in Oregon, where he also teaches theology and ethics.

Clair brings extensive academic credentials to the role, including a doctorate from Princeton University’s religion, ethics, and politics program and a master’s degree from Cambridge University, where he studied as a Gates Cambridge Scholar. He also holds graduate degrees from Fordham and Duke universities and an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College.

The appointment comes as Fuller Seminary undergoes what officials describe as a digital transformation aimed at training Christian leaders for a changing religious landscape in the 21st century.

“Fuller Seminary is thrilled to welcome Dr. Joseph Clair to our board of trustees,” said Fuller President David Emmanuel Goatley. “His experience as a university professor and administrator will contribute significantly to strengthening our call as a global evangelical Christian institution of higher education.”

Clair joined George Fox’s faculty in 2013 and has authored two books on Augustine’s educational philosophy: “Discerning the Good in the Letters and Sermons of Augustine” and “Reading Augustine: On Education, Formation, Citizenship, and the Lost Purpose of Learning.” He has also written extensively on faith, culture, education and ethics.

Board Chair Dr. Shirley Mullen emphasized Clair’s timing, noting the disruption facing higher education institutions nationwide.

“Dr. Clair’s experience as a scholar, professor, and administrator will deepen our understanding of the world of higher education in this season of massive disruption within that sector,” Mullen said. “His scholarly work in theology and culture, as well as his interdisciplinary experience as administrator and professor in the Honors College of George Fox University is ideally suited to Fuller’s own commitment to prepare graduates who are prepared to bring the riches of their education to the service of the most challenging issues of our society and culture.”

Fuller Seminary, founded in 1947, is one of the largest multidenominational seminaries in North America, offering graduate programs in theology, psychology and intercultural studies.