Dean Flemming (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is an award-winning author, Bible teacher, and seminar speaker. He is Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Mission at MidAmerica Nazarene University and teaches New Testament at the Missional Training Center in Phoenix, AZ. He served for 24 years as a theological educator in the Philippines and Germany and has taught in many global settings.
Dean is the author of six books, including Contextualization in the New Testament, which won a Christianity Today book award, and a commentary on Philippians that received the Smith-Wynkoop book award. He writes especially on the connection between the New Testament and mission. His latest book is Foretaste of the Future on the book of Revelation. Dean also does podcasts on Revelation and enjoys speaking in venues ranging from local church seminars to pastors’ workshops to academic lectures.
An ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene, Dean has pastored churches in Ohio and Japan. He is active in his local church, which includes teaching an adult Bible class.
Award Winning Christian Author
Professor Emeritus, Biblical Interpreter
Christian Leadership Insights, Missionary Perspectives, Cross-Cultural Mission
Explore as he navigates the intersection between the Bible and the mission of God. Dean’s books combine careful scholarship, a lively writing style, and a passion for how Scripture shapes the global church in mission.
For many Christians, the Book of Revelation inspires confusion and fear. In this thematic approach to Revelation, I read the Apocalypse, not as a play-by-play script for the future, but as a call for God's people to live as a foretaste of God's future here and now.
From Manila to Minneapolis, Christians are engaged to a conversation about how to speak and live the gospel in ways that make sense to people in a given context without watering down the gospel itself. Learn More.
As part of Lexham’s Transformative Word series, this book is a concise travel guide to Philippians. It is designed to introduce the letter’s key themes, especially through the lens of the V-shaped story of Jesus’ costly, self-giving love (Phil 2:6-11).
Too often we try to divide the mission of God's people into categories like words and deeds, evangelism and social witness. By surveying the Old Testament and looking closely at the New Testament, I argue that the church’s mission is anchored in the multi-dimensional mission of God.
This is a theological reading of Paul's Letter to the Philippians, which highlights its missional message. For each passage, I look Behind the Text for background and literary structure; In the Text for a verse-by-verse explanation of its meaning; and From the Text for its theology and application today.
What does it mean to read the New Testament from a missional perspective? In Why Mission?, I try to address that question by exploring how different NT books bear witness to the mission of God and how they energize the church to faithfully participate in that mission.
Dr. Flemming’s career is marked by the pursuit of reading the New Testament in light of the mission of God and communicating how that energizes the church in mission today. His impact reverberates through opportunities to teach in a many global settings, extensive publications, and engaging public speaking.
Ph.D. in New Testament Exegesis: University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Current Positions: Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Mission, MidAmerica Nazarene University and Professor of New Testament Studies, Missional Training Center, Phoenix, AZ.
Global Engagement: Dean has extensive global experience, holding academic posts on three continents. He has taught and spoken in many countries, ranging from Germany to Japan, from Portugal to Papua New Guinea.
Publications: In addition to his books, Dean has written extensively for academic journals, essay collections, popular magazines, and church publications. Dean's current book project with IVP Academic focuses on biblical hope in the context of widespread anxiety over issues like the climate crisis.
Christianity Today Book Award: Contextualization in the New Testament
Smith-Wynkoop Book Award (2012): Wesleyan Theological Society for Philippians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition.
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Dr. Flemming is a compelling speaker, sharing insights derived from a rich background in New Testament studies and mission theology. His engaging talks span a variety of topics, including the Book of Revelation, the New Testament and mission, and biblical hope in the context of climate anxiety.
Drawing on his extensive global experience , Dean contextualizes his speaking for audiences in various cultural and church settings.
Michael J. Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, MD
Beyond his academic and speaking pursuits, Dean values his free time, embracing activities that refresh and inspire. Here's a glimpse into his leisure interests:
Dean loves to travel and has visited nearly 60 countries. He has lived on 3 continents.
Dean enjoys walking and hiking in the mountains. In 2022, he walked part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Dean finds joy in reading. In addition to biblical and devotional books, he likes reading novels, biographies, and history.
Dean is active in his local church, teaching an adult Bible class and participating in a group each week that helps his pastor explore upcoming sermon texts.
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