March 24, 2025
An Interview with Dr. Anthony L. Blair
Professor of Leadership and Historical Studies
What inspired you to pursue your field of study?
I don’t know what my field of study is. I’ve earned doctoral degrees in both History and Leadership, and multiple theology degrees along the way. But if I had to sum it up, I’d say I’m captivated by more by intersections—between history and theology, leadership and faith, academia and ministry, art and words—than by specialties.
At its core, my work explores how God is at work in the world and how we respond to that divine movement. My students and I have even coined a couple of new sub-disciplines: Leadership Theology and Organizational Theology. These fields challenge often-unquestioned assumptions about leadership in organizations and reframe them through a distinctly Christian lens. I no longer perceive the old academic disciplines as separate pursuits; rather, they together create a larger conversation about how we understand God, the world, and our role in it.
How did your academic journey lead you to ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½?
This commitment to holistic, integrative education is what we sought at Evangelical Seminary, where I served as both administrator and faculty, and I brought that with me into Kairos when Evangelical joined as a legacy partner in 2022. It’s what I try to do with the leadership role I now play with our research doctorates.
Indeed, this perspective aligns very well with the mission of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½. Kairos doesn’t just offer degrees; it’s a community that fosters deep, contextualized learning. We encourage scholars and practitioners to engage across boundaries, equipping students for meaningful impact in their churches, communities, and the world This integrative approach—one that refuses to silo knowledge—resonates deeply with how I’ve approached my own work.
What excites you most about your discipline?
What excites me most is the opportunity to stand in the gaps, to help bridge conversations that are often isolated from one another. As Christians, our ability to know stems from the Creator who knows all things. That means every pursuit of knowledge, of truth, ultimately leads back to God. Exploring these connections is both an act of scholarship and an act of worship.
And that means that what I do as a pastor is not at bifurcated from what I do in academia: I am the same person, on the same mission, with the same passions, in both contexts. And this is how it is supposed to be, I suspect.
What books, theologians, or resources have influenced your work the most?
My work is shaped by an ongoing engagement with a wide range of voices, culled from across centuries and cultures. I have found inspiration in theologians, historians, leadership scholars, and ministry practitioners alike. And I’m convinced that God is speaking at least as much through the arts in this generation as He is through our academic tomes. The common thread among all these sources is a willingness to ask hard questions and to explore the depths of faith with intellectual curiosity and humility.
The greatest influences on my thinking have been those who resist easy categorization—those who, like me, inhabit the spaces in between. They remind me that true knowledge isn’t about finding a neat, singular answer but about being willing to engage in a lifelong dialogue with truth, mystery, and (especially) imagination.
What do you hope students take away from your teaching?
More than anything, I want my students to embrace the freedom to explore—to understand that learning is about seeing knowledge as an interconnected whole. And I fervently hope they recognize that every question, when pursued deeply enough, becomes theological.
So I provoke. I provoke my students toward intellectual curiosity, a commitment to critical thinking, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. If they walk away with a deeper appreciation for the complexity and beauty of God’s truth, then I consider my work a success.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Blair’s approach to scholarship challenges the conventional boundaries of academia, offering a vision for education that is integrative, deeply theological, and profoundly relevant for today’s Church. His insights remind us that true learning is not about fitting into predefined categories but about boldly stepping into the spaces where disciplines, ideas, and faith intersect.
Stay tuned for our next faculty interview as we continue to explore the passions, wisdom, and journeys of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½â€™s remarkable educators.