Kent Clarke

Kent Clarke serves as the Brooke Foss Westcott Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism, Greek Studies, and Hermeneutics within the Department of Religious Studies at Trinity Western University's Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences. A full-time faculty member since 2002, he concurrently directs Canada's largest New Testament manuscript collection—the Reuben J. Swanson Biblical Manuscript Image Collection—and leads the BibleWorks Manuscript Transcription Project, which has pioneered digital transcription methodologies for ancient biblical texts.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Theology and Religious Studies from Trinity College, University of Bristol (2002)
• Master’s Degree in Theological Studies (First Class Honours) from Trinity Western University (1994)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Theology (summa cum laude) from Okanagan Bible College (1992)

Clarke's research investigates Jewish and Hellenistic backgrounds to early Christianity, New Testament textual criticism and canon formation, Koine Greek linguistics, and Enlightenment-era impacts on biblical criticism. His work uniquely bridges manuscript studies with hermeneutical theory, examining how historical contexts shape textual interpretation and theological development across centuries.

His 25+ year publication trajectory reveals three dominant scholarly currents: critical assessments of major manuscript editions (notably Codex Vaticanus), analyses of Enlightenment rationalism's influence on biblical scholarship, and investigations into the interplay between paleography and philanthropy in manuscript acquisition history. Recent work increasingly examines hermeneutical frameworks for integrating faith and intellectual inquiry in contemporary contexts.

His scientific honors include:

• Trinity Western University Rooted & Reaching Award (2017-2018)
• Davis Distinguished Teaching Award (2013-2014)
• Brooke Foss Westcott Funded Research Professorship (2007-Present)
• "Science, Faith, and Human Flourishing" Grant from Fuller Seminary (2018-2019)

Through graduate supervision and the BibleWorks Project, Clarke mentors emerging scholars in manuscript transcription and digital humanities, while his administrative leadership as former Department Chair and Biblical Studies Program Coordinator has shaped curriculum development. His teaching portfolio spans foundational Greek language instruction to advanced seminars on New Testament theology, complemented by immersive travel courses across biblical lands.

He directs two major research collections: the Reuben J. Swanson Biblical Manuscript Image Collection (housing microfilm, facsimiles, and digital images) and the Trinity Western University-Wikene Papyri Collection containing 175 newly discovered ancient Egyptian fragments, both serving as critical resources for global textual criticism research.