Dr. Leonard Sweet

Scholar

Leonard I. Sweet is an author, preacher, scholar, and ordained United Methodist clergyman currently serving as the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew Theological School, in Madison, New Jersey, and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon. In 2007, he was voted One of the 50 Most Influential Christian Leaders in America (#8). In 2006, he received the same honor (#32).

Before becoming the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism, Sweet had been Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the Theological School at Drew from 1995 to 2000. Prior to his appointments at Drew University, he served as President and Professor of Church History at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio. His first academic administration position was as Provost and Associate Professor of Church History at Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer Theological Seminary.

Sweet is founder and President of SpiritVenture Ministries. His writings focus on the study of Semiotics.

He is the author of more than twenty books, 120 articles (many of a scholarly and technical nature), and over 20 prefaces/forewords to others’ books. He has over 600 published sermons, mostly in Homiletics but also in other publications such as Pulpit Resource, Pulpit Digest, PreachingPlus.com, and currently wikiletics.com and sermons.com. Sweet has weekly podcasting on iTunes entitled Napkin Scribbles.

Sweet has served a term on the council of the American Society of Church History, was an associate editor of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion for ten years. An honors and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Richmond, he earned his Master of Divinity degree from Colgate/Rochester/Bexley Hall/Crozer and Ph.D from the University of Rochester. Sweet is the recipient of honorary Doctorates of Divinity from University of Richmond, Baker University, Lebanon Valley College, and Otterbein College.

Sweet lectures around the world, and has spoken in various locations including Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, Korea, Iceland, and Scotland.

Sweet has been an advocate of the attempt to contextualize Christianity into modern American culture. Leonard Sweet is featured in the FAITHANDREASON® Studio Series Volume Two, “Is There Really Divine Healing?”, and “Faithfulness Or Extremism?”

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