James Lewis

Fall 2005 Focus Interview

Biographical Information for James Lewis

Dr. Jim Lewis came to Bethel University in 2003 as Professor of Religious Studies after serving in that capacity for nine years at Wheaton (IL) College. Born in Ottumwa, Iowa he attended St. Paul Bible College and later received his B.A. degree in History at Bethel College. After receiving his B.D. at Bethel Theological Seminary he served as Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) pastor while doing graduate work at Baylor University. He and Marylan learned Vietnamese and served with the CMA (1967-70) during the Vietnam war. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in History of Religions and Asian Art at The University of Iowa (1976), they joined the faculty and staff of India’s Union Biblical Seminary (1977-81) after which Dr. Lewis taught at Crown College before joining the Wheaton faculty.

His residence in Asia and travels abroad with adult and student study groups have enabled him to visit and photograph major religious and cultural treasures in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. He has also viewed important art collections in New Delhi, Beijing, Hanoi, London, Cairo, Rome, Boston, New York, Cleveland, Kansas City, and Seattle. San Diego and Los Angeles. He is coauthor of Religious Traditions of the World (Wipf & Stock 1999) and has contributed to other publications about the Hmong of Vietnam and the Jains of modern India. Recognized as a leading educator in the small college context, he serves as Consultant-Evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and has served as a consultant for the State of Oklahoma Board of Regents, Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis) and the Association of Theological Schools (USA and Canada).

Jim and Marylan have three adult children and three grandchildren. He says: “While I greatly enjoy my professional work, at home I am a non-serious map, stamp, and coin collector who likes biking, hiking, trekking, camping, fishing, photography, home improvement projects, and Asian cuisine (Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian). My greatest outdoor adventures have been climbing Long’s Peak, Colorado (14,255’), trekking near Nanda Devi (25,562’) in the Himalayas, and hiking and trout fishing at Mystic Lake, Montana. My biggest fish: a 27” walleye taken 7/01 at Mille Lacks Lake in Minnesota. My greatest failures have been attempted car repairs. My greatest intellectual stimulus is memorization of classical devotional hymns and scripture. My greatest unfulfilled ambition is to hike and fish Alaska.”