Southwestern Seminary enrolls Muslim doctoral student

Southwestern Seminary enrolls Muslim doctoral student

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Palestinian Muslim recently enrolled in Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s doctoral program in archaeology. His enrollment marks a significant departure from the norm at the Fort Worth, Texas, school where students normally must present a record of church involvement, evidence of Christian character and a statement about one’s Christian conversion before admission.

“For several years, Southwestern Seminary has operated (an archaeological) dig at Tel Gezer in Israel,” Southwestern President Paige Patterson said. “During that time we have been joined in the effort by around 20 of our own students and about 60 students from secular schools and religious schools. We have had both Israelis and Muslims.

“One of these young men from a Muslim background loved our people and asked to study with us. He accepted the necessity of abiding by our moral code of conduct. He is a man of peace and we agreed to admit him into the archaeology program.”