Dr. Terence C. Mournet is the Assistant Professor of New Testament and the Director of Educational Technology at Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA.
He is married to Krista Mournet and together they have a young son named Lucas.
I was born and raised in Queens, NY and attended a North American Baptist Conference church for many years (Immanuel Baptist Church; Woodside, Queens) until I left to attend seminary. My wife and I will celebrate our 13th anniversary this coming January, and after many years being ‘on the road’, we were thankful to be able to ’settle down’ and ‘establish roots’ in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
I attended a variety of universities and seminaries during my eighteen or so years in undergraduate and postgraduate education. I initially attended Polytechnic University (Farmingdale, NY) as an electrical engineering major for three years until I was called to Christian ministry at which point I left NYC and relocated to Sioux Falls to complete my my undergraduate degree at the University of Sioux Falls (which was Sioux Falls College at that time), and to begin my theological education at NABS. I left Sioux Falls in 1994 and enrolled in Anderson School of Theology in Anderson, IN for one additional year of language study. After working full-time in the computer science field for several years as a software developer, computer consultant, and Manager of Information Systems, I felt called to return to seminary and complete my master’s degree. I enrolled in Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA (now called Palmer Theological Seminary) and completed my M.T.S. degree in 1999. During the final years of seminary I felt called to the teaching ministry and academia, and subsequently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at the University of Durham, England. My wife obtained her B.A. and her M.A.T.R. in Theology while I completed my Ph.D. under the supervision of the prominent New Testament scholar James D. G. Dunn. We returned to the U.S.A. following our four-year stay in England, and we are excited to be a part of God’s ministry here in Sioux Falls.
As for my research interests, my most recent work has been on the Synoptic Gospels – the results of which has been published by the German academic publisher Mohr Siebeck (Mournet, Terence. Oral Tradition and Literary Dependency: Variability and Stability in the Synoptic Tradition and Q. Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament II; vol. 195. Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2005). I have recently contributed an article – “The Jesus Tradition as Oral Tradition” to a Festschrift for the New Testament scholar Birger Gerhardsson. In addition I am currently editing another book in honor of Prof. James D. G. Dunn (a Festschrift), and working on several articles and book reviews. Lastly, I have had interaction with several publishers who have expressed interested in another book which is in its primitive stages of development.
Other research interests of mine include the relationship between orality and literacy in antiquity, methodological questions relating to the study of Early Christianity, and sociological approaches to New Testament interpretation including social-scientific criticism of the Pauline corpus. I have also developed some computer software for the academic community which I might market someday (if I have enough time!)
Since returning to the USA, I had the opportunity to visit some exciting places in search for the right teaching ministry. Krista and I visited Ghana, Africa where I almost accepted a position as Dean and Senior Lecturer of a divinity school in Accra. Just before Christmas 2004 I visited Auckland, New Zealand where I was a candidate for a New Testament position there! Neither of these positions was right for us. However, we have felt ‘at home’ in Sioux Falls, and have been able to see God’s plan for our lives unfold over the last year-God has been faithful. As of July 1st, 2005, I have been an Assistant Professor of New Testament and the Director of Educational Technology at Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls, SD.
Apart from my academic background, I have served in a wide variety of Christian ministries, including: youth pastoral work, church planting, traveling music ministry, worship leading/directing, guitarist in a Christian ‘rock band’ – among others! Although I am currently focused on research and writing, I still have a passion for music and love playing my guitar and/or leading worship with my wife who is a gifted vocalist (we actually met on a music ministry tour of the US and Canada!).
Thanks for your interest in my short biography!