Pepperdine Libraries Names James L. Gorman as Senior Fellow
Pepperdine Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of James L. Gorman as senior fellow in the Libraries. In the role, Gorman will carry out projects in the Pepperdine Libraries Rushford Center for Research on the Churches of Christ, including developing pedagogical tools and delivering presentations that articulate the University’s historical and spiritual foundations in the Churches of Christ and make the history of the Churches of Christ more widely known.
At Abilene Christian University, Gorman is associate professor of Christian history in the Graduate School of Theology and director of the Center for Restoration Studies. His research explores the history of Christianity, the Stone-Campbell Movement, race and Christianity in America, and Bible interpretation. He’s written several books, including Among the Early Evangelicals: The Transatlantic Origins of the Stone-Campbell Movement (2017) and Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America (2024; co-authored with Pepperdine emeritus professor Richard T. Hughes). Gorman received a PhD in religion from Baylor University, MDiv from Abilene Christian University, and BS from Kentucky Christian University.
“Dr. Gorman has the perfect skillset and research background to create accessible, research-informed resources—including educational modules and presentations—to help a wide array of audiences including faculty, staff, and students learn about themes distinctive to Churches of Christ and explore materials in the Churches of Christ Heritage Collection,” said dean of Libraries Mark Roosa.
As part of the fellowship, Gorman will travel twice this year to Pepperdine, including once as part of the Rushford Center’s annual panel of church historians during Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible Lectures.
“I’m honored to work with the exceptional staff of Pepperdine Libraries and the Rushford Center to make the identity and history of Churches of Christ more accessible to more people. Few questions are more important to answer in the current moment than those revolving around religious identity: Who are we? Who have we been? Who are we becoming?,” said Gorman.