Dr. David Eastman will join McCallie School as the Joseph Glenn Sherrill Chair of Bible and Bible department head beginning in the 2018-19 school year
Dr. David Eastman will join McCallie School as the Joseph Glenn Sherrill Chair of Bible and Bible department head beginning in the 2018-19 school year. The hire continues McCallie’s dedication to the thoughtful study and analysis of the Bible, said school officials.
Dr. Eastman is an associate professor and head of the religion department at Ohio Wesleyan University. He’s a graduate of The Ohio State, and he has master’s degrees from the University of St. Andrews, Université de Poitiers in France, Gordon Conwell Seminary and Yale. He also holds a Ph.D from Yale.
“Dr. Eastman’s credentials are impeccable, and he will continue to help our boys learn about the Bible in a way that is accessible but thorough,” Headmaster Lee Burns ‘87 said. “At McCallie, we look to nurture the spiritual, intellectual and physical growth of our students, and this appointment will help us continue that important mission established by McCallie’s founders.”
Dr. Eastman is an expert in the New Testament and early church history. He is also a man of deep faith whose concern for his students was evident during the interview process. Beyond his Biblical scholarship, Dr. Eastman is a scholar of baseball. He played semi-professional baseball in France and will do some baseball coaching for McCallie.
“To be able to bring a man of Dr. Eastman’s background to McCallie is amazing, and it shows how respected our Bible curriculum is,” Assistant Headmaster Kenny Sholl said. “His knowledge of the Bible is surpassed only by the compassion and care he brings to his work with students. He will be a huge asset to McCallie.”
A thoughtful study and analysis of the Bible has been part of McCallie’s curriculum since the founding of the school in 1905, said officials. Coursework in the Bible Department remains a requirement for graduation.
In 1986, Rodolph G. Sherrill ‘56 and his sister, Mrs. Glenda Hamilton, established the Joseph Glenn Sherrill Chair of Bible in memory of their father.
"I’m very excited about the opportunity to come to a school with such a rich tradition,” Dr. Eastman said. “It’s a great chance for me to continue to explore my interest in bible and church history with the next generation of leaders in our world. The Bible teachers at McCallie have already built a strong foundation, so I am excited to join their team.”