John D. Wilsey and a car full of his PhD students finally arrived at the National Mall in the heart of Washington, D.C.
They were meeting me and a couple of other students who came to visit the sites after a full day at the Academy of Philosophy & Letters conference.
“You didn’t go up without me, did you?” Wilsey asked me.
I’ve absorbed American history since elementary school, and I finally had the chance to climb the steps to see the Lincoln Memorial for the first time. I knew Wilsey would want to be there. I also knew I wanted him to be there.
“Of course not,” I answered.
Wilsey put his arm around my shoulder.
“Good. I like being with people when they see it for the first time.”
When Wilsey guided me into the memorial, he made sure I felt the reverence he had for the place. He didn’t chime in and give me the historical breakdown. He didn’t use the time to perform one of his drawn-out and well-rehearsed jokes (something his friends and students quickly learn to laugh through). Instead, he led us to take in the sights and sounds while reflecting on the life of Abraham Lincoln and his enduring legacy.
“Like Sons in the Guild”
The seven of us, from all over the country, with different backgrounds and aspirations, share one key commonality. We study American church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary under the supervision of Wilsey.
Our trip to the Lincoln Memorial began when Wilsey accepted an invitation to discuss his latest book at the APL conference held at the University of Maryland. The interdisciplinary conference fosters discussion and debate among conservatives committed to what Russell Kirk called “permanent things.”
Wilsey’s book, Religious Liberty: A Conservative Primer, fit the conference theme well, and he encouraged us to join him. One by one, we each received word that we had been awarded the Edmund Burke Fellowship, which included a scholarship to attend.
Wilsey explains why he prioritizes spending time with his students at academic conferences.
“A conference like APL exposes students to the ideas in the field that are being considered,” Wilsey said. “My PhD students are like my sons in the guild. I take my role as an academic and spiritual mentor seriously. When I was a PhD student, I loved my professors, but nobody ever taught me how to interact at a conference or to engage with people in the field. I was often lonely and had to learn it on my own. I want my students to be mentored not just in seminars and paper writing, but in contributing at a conference. Even if you don’t present, by the time you come out of a conference, you can know a lot of people. It’s a lot easier when you have someone to guide you. You never know how those relationships will flourish—friendships, job opportunities, and even publishing contacts are all possible.”
John Weichal, a Modular PhD student, attended APL as his first academic conference. He’s now even more convinced of the need for Christian engagement with academia.
“Spending time with my advisor and fellow students at a conference like this has reinforced my understanding of the importance of Christian scholarship,” Weichal said. “Faithful Christians can engage with ideas across all different foundations and produce the same academic rigor. The better prepared we are, the better conversation we can maintain.”
For Adam Peterson, another one of Wilsey’s students, relationships serve as the most crucial benefit of the PhD program.
“Relationships are probably the most important part of the PhD program, especially with your advisor,” Peterson said. “Getting time outside of the classroom with your advisor and fellow students is crucial. Conferences help maximize those relationships. Spending time in meals, sharing ideas, and even taking field trips to the Lincoln Memorial adds so much depth to the PhD experience.”
A Confessional, Scholarly, and Relational PhD
The APL conference offered a reminder of the value of studying at Southern Seminary under the guidance of intentional advisors such as Wilsey. A confessional institution, where your minds as well as souls are cared for, is the ideal setting for education.
Wilsey reminds those interested in pursuing a PhD that a confessional training has benefits that can extend outside of the lanes of evangelical scholarship—especially in places such as APL.
“Our students at Southern have much to offer to academia,” Wilsey said. We have the theological training and background that gives a distinct advantage and perspective that helps contribute to fields often dominated by secularism.”
Wilsey walking me up for my first visit to the Lincoln Memorial represents the four years he has spent guiding me along the path towards Christian scholarship. He’s prodded, sharpened, and encouraged me along the way as I venture towards graduation and scholarship for the church.
I will never make it up that graduation stage without him. And of course I wouldn’t want to go up without him.