Growing up as a missionary kid in France, Dr. J. Nathan Clayton established a strong sense of calling from God early on, which led him to pursue a biblical teaching ministry. Clayton integrates his intercultural background and understanding of diverse ministry settings into his classroom. “I bring, by God’s grace, a wide variety of ministry experiences and perspectives on Christian Ministry to my teaching of the Old Testament and of the Bible as a whole,” he says.
Clayton appreciates the fellowship, support, and sense of Christ-centered community at North Park. He also values the diversity of students and encourages them to engage in conversation and learn from one another. He explains, “The biblical text itself is rich with a variety of cultural and linguistic expressions; this is a significant feature of the Word God has revealed to us.”
Passionate about enabling his students to refine their sense of calling to Christian ministry, Clayton aims to strengthen their abilities to effectively preach and teach Scripture. He also provides his students with the experiential opportunity to learn and visualize the original historical, cultural, and geographical contexts of the Old Testament through tours at the University of Chicago Oriental Institute Museum.