Division of Biblical Studies
Faculty

Dr. David Vila
Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy

 

Course Syllabi:

Comparative Religions: Hinduism & Buddhism

Honors Old Testament Survey

Comparative Religions - Islam

Honors New Testament Survey

David Vila has been at John Brown University since 1999. David is a graduate of Covenant College '88 (double major in English and Biblical Studies) and Covenant Seminary where he earned an MDiv. and an MA in Theological Studies in '91 and '93, respectively. In 1999 he graduated from Saint Louis University with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology with a dissertation on Christian-Muslim relations in the early Islamic period (750-900 CE).

At JBU, David teaches classes in Biblical Studies, Philosophy, and Comparative Religion, including a course on Islam and another on Hinduism and Buddhism.

David has also been involved with an archaeological excavation in Jordan since 1990 and serves on the Board of Directors of that organization. During the '95-'96 academic year, David received a Fulbright Grant to study Arabic and early Christian-Muslim relations at Jordan University in Amman, Jordan. David’s primary area of research is in early Christian-Muslim relations, but he also writes and researches in the areas of religious pluralism and comparative theology.

David has been married since 1991 to Susan, a full-time homemaker and mom. Susan enjoys scrap-booking, rubber-stamping and cooking. David enjoys running, eating his wife's cooking, reading post-colonial literature and playing Nintendo and Legos with his boys. They have three boys, Samuel (‘95), Charlie (’99) and Henry (‘03). The Vilas attend Covenant Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas.