Benjamin Williamson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology
HOBBIES
- Cycling/Mountain biking
- Running
- Kayaking
- Hiking
WHY OCU?
First, God has called me here, and I'm so thankful that He has. OCU is a place where the Gospel is not just protected but celebrated and proclaimed. We are committed to the inerrancy of Scripture and the Creeds of the Church, but within those fences there is room for creative thought about the mystery of God. This is a place where professors and students can grow intellectually. Most of all, there is a pursuit and passion for revival on this campus. We are pursing knowledge of God for the purpose of knowing Him more.
Benjamin Williamson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Theology, University of Dayton
M.Div. Pastoral Ministry Concentration, Wesley Biblical Seminary
B.S. in Secondary Education (Social Studies), Asbury University
BIOGRAPHY
Ben began full-time Christian ministry in 2002 following graduation from seminary. He planted a church in Greenwood, IN and served as their founding pastor until 2008 when he joined the faculty of Ohio Christian University. In 2021, Ben graduated from the University of Dayton with a Ph.D. in theology. His research at U.D. led him to a fascination with the historical moment surrounding the Jesus People Movement (JPM) in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It became an obsession of Ben's because he believed he wad seeing something that he had been searching for since God called him into ministry all those years before: A spontaneous and pure move of God's Spirit in a way that seemed to transcend the politics and divisions that often plague American Christianity. The JPM combined Ben's passion for an encounter with Christ with a commitment and hunger for Scripture. It inspired him to imagine what God might be wanting to do in our time with and through emerging generations.
Ben lives in Springfield, OH. He is happily married to Christiann. They have five amazing kids. Ben ran the Nationwide Children's Hospital Marathon in 2021. In 2022, he began serving part-time as an associate pastor at Riversong Church in Springfield. Ben says, "It's been good to be back in the pastorate, and I am a better professor as a result. Much of my attention at the church is spent working in student ministries."
RESEARCH INTERESTS
- The 1960s/1970s Jesus People Movement
- Religion and Popular Culture
- Wesleyan Arminian Theology
- 20th Century Developments in American Religion
PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Book
The Jesus People: A Strange Trip From Countercultural to Establishment Christianity. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Academic, 2025.
Paper:
"The Jesus People Movement: Fundamentalism in Countercultural Garb or Something Else?" Presented at the annual Northwest Regional meeting of the American Academy of Religion (May 2021).
HOBBIES
- Cycling/Mountain biking
- Running
- Kayaking
- Hiking
WHY OCU?
First, God has called me here, and I'm so thankful that He has. OCU is a place where the Gospel is not just protected but celebrated and proclaimed. We are committed to the inerrancy of Scripture and the Creeds of the Church, but within those fences there is room for creative thought about the mystery of God. This is a place where professors and students can grow intellectually. Most of all, there is a pursuit and passion for revival on this campus. We are pursing knowledge of God for the purpose of knowing Him more.
