John David Trentham

Trentham teaches primarily in the areas of Christian formation and education, emphasizing the reciprocity of redemptive affections, discernment, and practices in all of his classes. Since arriving on faculty in 2012, he has taught more than thirty distinct courses at the undergraduate, graduate, professional, and research doctoral levels. He has served as the Dean of Students since 2018.

Trentham’s pastoral experience includes leadership in multiple areas of church ministry, including teaching and curriculum, music and liturgy, missional and organizational strategy, and administrative development. He frequently serves as a consultant for local churches, particularly in the area of discipleship ministry design and implementation. He currently serves with the worship team at his family’s home church in Louisville, Sojourn Midtown.

Trentham is the author of numerous books, articles, and research studies across various applied theology sub-disciplines, including: doctrine and vocation, educational philosophy, social science and human development, and Christian higher education. His original academic work engaging the social sciences and epistemology has become the principal research for an expanding body of study and scholarly publication. In 2017 and 2019, Trentham was elected to two terms as President of the Society of Professors in Christian Education (SPCE). In 2021, he was named Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry (CEJ).

He and his wife Brittany, both originally from East Tennessee, are the blessed parents of three vibrant children.