Mark W. Wilson
Director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey Mark Wilson (D.Litt. et Phil., University of South Africa) is an American scholar who has lived in Turkey with his wife Dindy since 2004. He is the founder and director of two organizations—the Seven Churches Network and the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya. Their purpose is to promote the study of early Judaism and Christianity in Asia Minor within the context of the Greco-Roman world. Wilson regularly leads study trips to the biblical sites in Turkey and other countries in the eastern Mediterranean. He has also conducted several seminars for Turkish tour guides on Turkey’s biblical heritage. Wilson is the author and editor of over a dozen books including four studies on the book of Revelation. He has also authored many articles on Jews and Christians in Asia Minor (available on www.academia.edu). Other articles can be found in the ESV Archaeology Bible and the Lexham Geographic Commentary Acts through Revelation. He is a member of nine academic societies, and has been involved in video projects on Ephesus, St. Nicholas, the Seven Churches, and Paul’s Journeys. His research interests include ancient synagogues as well as ancient roads and biblical routes. Mark and his wife Dindy have four adult children, four grandsons and four granddaughters.
Present Professional Work
Founder and Director, Asia Minor Research Center, 2007– Research Associate of the Department of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, University of South Africa, 2005– Adjunct Professor of Early Christianity, Regent University, 2002– Academic Writer and Researcher, 2001– Founder and Director, Seven Churches Network, 2000–
Professional Background
Adjunct Professor of New Testament, Fuller Seminary Seattle, 2003 Associate Professor of New Testament, Undergraduate School of Theology, Oral Roberts University, 1997–2001; Courses Taught: New Testament Introduction, Old Testament Introduction, Old Testament Survey, Greek I–II, Intermediate Greek Reading, Pauline Epistles, Johannine Literature, Eschatology and the Book of Revelation, Hebrews and General Epistles, Historical Geography and Archaeology of the New Testament World, Apostolic Fathers, Turkey Study Trip Adjunct Professor of New Testament, School of Divinity, Regent University, 1993–97, 2002– Supervisory Editor and General Editor, Living By The Book Discipleship Curriculum, 1989–94 Instructor, Central Indian Bible College (Mobridge, SD), 1982–84
Education
D.Litt. et Phil., Biblical Studies, University of South Africa (Pretoria), 1997 Thesis: A Pie in a Very Bleak Sky? Analysis and Appropriation of the Promise Sayings in the Seven Letters to the Churches in Revelation 2–3 M.A. (summa cum laude), Regent University (VA), 1987 B.A., Trinity Bible College (ND), 1982 Associate of Practical Theology, Christ for the Nations Institute (TX), 1980
Professional Memberships
Society for Pentecostal Studies, 1984– (Annual meetings 1985, 1987, 1990–92, 1994,1997–2002; 2003, 2005 (host committee member, 2001) Evangelical Theological Society, 1989– (Annual meetings 1993–95, 1997, 1999–2000, 2002–6); Coordinator, Asia Minor Study Group, 2004– Society of Biblical Literature, 1989– (Annual meetings 1993–95, 1997, 1999–2000, 2002–6) Near East Archaeological Society, 1991– (Annual meetings 1993–95, 1997, 1999–2000, 2002–6; Director 2002–) American Research Institute in Turkey, 1994– Institute for Biblical Research, 1994– (Annual meetings 1993–94, 1997, 1999–2000, 2002–6) New Testament Society of South Africa, 1997– (Annual meetings 1993, 1997) British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara, 1998–
Publications
The Letters to the Seven Churches
Spirit and Renewal
Historical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles
Historical Commentary on First Corinthians
Historical Commentary on Galatians
Possessing the Promise of God: Joshua and Judges
St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary
Mastering New Testament Greek Vocabulary
Constantinople & the Scenery of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor
The Cities Of St. Paul: And Other Biblical Sites in Asia Minor
The Victor Sayings in the Book of Revelation
Charts on the Book of Revelation
Biblical Turkey
Victory Through The Lamb
Books
Charts on the Book of Revelation: Literary, Historical, and Theological Perspectives (Kregel, forthcoming 2007) The Victor Sayings in the Book of Revelation (forthcoming 2007) Revising editor, The Cities of St. Paul by W. M. Ramsay (Kregel, forthcoming 2007) Editor, Constantinople & the Scenery of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor by Rev. Robert Walsh and Thomas Allom (Gorgias, 2006) Mastering Greek Vocabulary Through Semantic Domains with Jason Oden (Kregel, 2002) “The Book of Revelation” in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, edited by Clinton E. Arnold (Zondervan, 2002), 244–383. Revising editor, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen by W. M. Ramsay (Kregel, 2001) Possessing the Promise of God: Joshua and Judges, Spirit-Filled Life Bible Discovery Guide edited by Jack W. Hayford (Thomas Nelson, 1998) Revising editor, Historical Commentary on Galatians by W. M. Ramsay (Kregel, 1997) Revising editor, Historical Commentary on 1 Corinthians (Kregel, 1996) Revising editor, Historical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles by W. M. Ramsay (Kregel, 1996) Editor and contributor, Spirit and Renewal: Essays in Honor of J. Rodman Williams (Sheffield Academic Press, 1994) Revising editor, The Letters to the Seven Churches by W. M. Ramsay (Hendrickson, 1994)
Articles and Reviews
“Rich Yet Lukewarm: Early Christianity in the Lycus Valley,” in Uluslarası Denizli ve Çevresi Tarih ve Kültür Sempozyumu Bildiriler ed. Ayfer Özçelik, M. Yaşar Ertaş, Yusuf Kılıç, Yasemin Avcı, Süleyman İnan, and Selim Parlaz (Denizli: Pamukkale Üniversitesi Fen-Edibiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü, 2007), 2:68–72. Review article of Robby Waddell, The Spirit of the Book of Revelation, Journal of the Evangelical Pentecostal Theological Association (2007) 2: (forthcoming) “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s Ministry Journeys,” Ekklesiastikos Pharos 87 ( 2005): 76–95 Review of Across the Anatolian Plateau: Readings in the Archaeology of Ancient Turkey ed. by David C. Hopkins, Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 50 (2005): 64–65 “The Trajectory of Early Christianity in Dorylaeum and its Environs,” in I. International Symposium on Eskişehir Throughout History: Political, Economical, Social and Cultural Aspects, ed. Oya Çetin, Ahmet Alp, Erkan İznik (Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi Yayınları/Edibeyat Facültesi Yayınları, 2005), 381–88 “The Early Christians in Ephesus and the Date of Revelation, Again,” Neotestamentica 39.1 (2005): 163–93 “Was Paul a Cilician, a Native of Tarsus: A Historical Reassessment,” Olba VIII (2003): 93–197 “Cilicia: The First Christian Churches in Anatolia,” Tyndale Bulletin 54.1 (2003): 15–30 “Greek Vocabulary Acquisition Using Semantic Domains,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 46 (2003): 193–204 Review of Antioch the Lost City by Christine Kondoleon, Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin (Spring 2002) “Zeugma: Armageddon on the Euphrates?” Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 45 (2000): 23–35 “The Public Reading of Scripture,” Ministries Today (July/August, 1991): 8 “Not a Bone Broken,” Charisma & Christian Life (April, 1990): 84–86 “He Studies the Creator of the Stars: Interview with J. Rodman Williams,” Ministries Today (January/February, 1990): 80–81
Conference Papers/Presentations
“The Route of Paul’s First Journey to Pisidian Antioch” presented at the Society of Biblical Literature Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., November 2007 “The Archaeology and Sociology of the Fora/Agorai of Smyrna, Miletus, and Ephesus,” presented at the Near East Archaeological Society Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., November 2007 “ ‘Neither Hot nor Cold’?: Early Christianity in the Lycus Valley” presented at the International Historical and Cultural Symposium on Denizli and its Neighboring Area, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, September 2006 “The First Culture War: Caesar versus Christ in Ancient Nicomedia” presented at the First International Cultural Symposium about Kocaeli and its Neighboring Area, Kocaeli University, İzmit, Turkey, April, 2006 “The Rise of Christian Oracles in the Shadow of the Apollo Cults of Asia Minor” presented at the First International Symposium on Oracle in Antiquity and the Cults of Apollo in Asia Minor, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey, August 2005 “Nicomedia: The Metropolis of Bithynia,” presented at the symposium on Ancient Nicomedia and İzmit Today, Kocaeli University, İzmit, Turkey, June 2005 Response Review of Robby Waddell, The Faithful Witness of a Pneumatic Church: The Role of the Spirit in the Apocalypse of John presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Virginia Beach, VA “The Trajectory of Early Christianity in Dorylaeum and its Environs,” presented at the First International Symposium on Eskişehir Yesterday and Today, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey, May 2004 “Smyrna: The Open Door to Rediscovering the Seven Churches,” presented at the First International Symposium on Ancient Smyrna, Izmir, Turkey, July 2003 “The Role of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s Ministry Journeys” presented at the Society for Pentecostal Studies/Wesleyan Theological Society, Lexington, March 2003 “The Churches of Cilicia: Background and Location” presented at the Near East Archaeological Society, Toronto, November 2002 “More Greek to Me: Using Semantic Domains to Acquire Greek Vocabulary” presented at the Evangelical Theological Society, Toronto, November 2002 “Was Paul a Cilician, a Native of Tarsus?: A Historical Reassessment” presented at the Third International Symposium of Cilician Archaeology, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey, June 2001 “Early Christianity in the Black Sea Region” presented at the International Congress on Black Sea Antiquities, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, September 2001 “Zeugma: Armageddon on the Euphrates” presented at the Near East Archaeological Society annual meeting, Nashville, November 2000 “Cilicia or Antioch: The First Christian Church in Anatolia” presented at the Second International Symposium on Pisidian Antioch, Süleyman Demirel Univesity, Yalvaç, Turkey, July 2000 “Hearing What the Spirit Says to the Churches”: Response to a paper presented by Robby Waddell at the 1999 annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Springfield, MO “John’s Revelation—The Climax of Prophecy” presented at the 1997 annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Oakland, CA “New Perspectives on Interpreting the Promises to the Church at Pergamum in Revelation 2” presented at the 1997 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Santa Clara, CA “Seven Churches, Seven Wonders” presented at the 1995 Northeast Regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Valley Forge, PA “Inspiration and 2 Timothy 3:16: A Pentecostal/Charismatic Perspective” presented at the 1994 annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, Lisle, IL “Chiasmus as a Tool for Interpreting the Book of Revelation” presented at the 1994 annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Lisle, IL
Archaeology Conference Participation
Annual Turkish International Symposium of Excavations, Surveys and Archaeometry, May 1999, 2002, 2004–2006 Wheaton Archaeology Conference, Wheaton, October 1998
Professional Activities
Consultant and Spokesman, History Channel Lost Worlds Series, “The First Christians,” Aired 2006 Organizer and Moderator of Asia Minor Study Group, Evangelical Theological Society, 2005–10 Consultant and Spokesman, Day of Discovery Television Series, “Timeless Letters of Revelation,” Aired 2002 Lecturer in Turkey–Bilkent, Adnan Menderes, and Anadolu Universities, 2001, 2002, 2004 Photographer of biblical sites in Mediterranean region with photos published in books by Zondervan and Kregel, 2001, 2002, 2005 Study tour leader to Turkey and Greece, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002–5 Tour guide seminar on early Anatolian Christianity, Izmir, 1999 Faculty research award to Turkey and Greece, 1998 New Testament annual lecturer, AFM Theological College, Soshanguve, South Africa, 1997 Jerusalem University College “History and Geography of Israel” seminar graduate, 1997 Guest lecturer at AFM Theological College, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1993 Graduation speaker, Tshwane Christian College, Soshanguve, South Africa, 1993 Study travel to Israel, 1993 Theological editor (titles include Renewal Theology, Vol. 1–3 by J. Rodman Williams [Zondervan] and Salt & Light edited by David J. Gyertson [Word])
Professional Awards
Professionalism in the Classroom, Oral Roberts University, 2000–2001 Outstanding Faculty Nominee, Undergraduate Theology, Oral Roberts University, 1999 Outstanding Faculty Member, Undergraduate Theology, Oral Roberts University, 1998