Book Note: J. Carl Laney. My Life as a Prof: Forty Years at Western Seminary 

J. Carl Laney. My Life as a Prof: Forty Years at Western Seminary 

Some who receive this blog are or have been associated with Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. I was a student there from 1974 until 1977. I joined the faculty as Library Director and teacher of Church History in 1983. I retired in 2018 after 31 years at Western sandwiched around 4 years at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Carl and I retired the same day. He spent 40 years on Western’s faculty teaching Biblical Literature, both Old and New Testaments.

He came to Western as a student in 1970 when the biggest building project in the school history was started. His dorm for first year later became a faculty office building. He joined the faculty in 1977 in the seminary’s 50th year after doctoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Soon Western will celebrate its 100th year.

Carl tells the history of the seminary as he tells his own story. He builds on the two previous histories. Church History Professor H. Crosby Englizian wrote a history of the seminary from 1927 until 1977 and Kenneth Epp extended it to 1979 as his Master of Theology thesis.

Carl begins his story during his senior year at the University of Oregon when he decided to go to seminary over joining Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) staff. Carl’s pastor Dr. Jack MacArthur, whose son, John MacArthur recently died, suggested preparing for ministry by studying at Western.

During his first year at seminary he proposed to his future wife, Nancy, and they began the next year together in Portland. His third summer of marriage was spent studying in Israel.

Carl tells of his colleagues and mentions me when I joined him in 1983 and in 1997 when I returned to the seminary after my time at Trinity. He also covers that day in 2018 when we both retired from the seminary.

This well-written book and the history of the seminary illustrates the history of Evangelicalism in the last 100 years. It has remained faithful theologically and committed to a worldwide presence through many creative and innovative means.

Highly recommended. Also, there are very appreciative reviews on Amazon.com.