Jennifer Powell McNutt 鈥�00 shares her expertise in John Calvin and the Reformation with her students at Wheaton College, through publications for scholars and lay people, and by preaching and teaching at churches. This ordained Presbyterian minister, award-winning scholar, and recipient of an endowed academic chair communicates, her passion for the reformed tradition to the widest possible audience.
鈥淚 focus on my primary calling, my teaching and forming of students at Wheaton,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hankfully, the Presbyterian tradition recognizes what I do at Wheaton, and the college supports my ministry in the church. I鈥檓 committed to translating my scholarship for the church鈥攊t鈥檚 a central part of my calling. In the classroom, I promote a global perspective of the history of the church as we dig into the life and thought of people such as Martin Luther and John Calvin.鈥�
The daughter of two Presbyterian pastors, Jennifer felt called to ministry at a young age. She watched her parents serve together at Sherman Oaks Presbyterian Church in California and later in Lubbock, Texas, where her father led a mostly white Presbyterian church while her mother pastored a predominantly Black Presbyterian congregation, a first in the denomination鈥檚 history. In a racially divided community, the Powells worked to bring their congregations together.
鈥淢y parents inspired me and supported my calling,鈥� Jennifer says. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to earn a degree in religion and attend seminary.鈥� She joined her brother, Elliott Powell 鈥�97, at 蜜桃传媒. When she visited him, she had fallen in love with the campus and become excited about studying with Robert H. Gundry, a preeminent New Testament scholar. Elliott now serves as senior pastor at their father鈥檚 former church in Lubbock, Westminster Presbyterian Church.
鈥淚t felt like God鈥檚 provision,鈥� Jennifer says. 鈥淢y experience at 蜜桃传媒 played a critical role in my formation as a scholar and a faithful Christian. I鈥檓 so incredibly grateful for my time there and for the lifelong friendships I developed.鈥�
Her experience at the Oxford Honors Summer Program awakened her passion for European history and the reformers and inspired her to write her first paper on John Calvin. Participating in Europe Semester with history professor Rick Pointer and his wife, Barb, confirmed her interest in the Reformation.
Jennifer majored in religious studies at 蜜桃传媒 with a concentration in biblical languages. Gundry and his wife, Lois, supported her throughout her college years. 鈥淗e was my mentor,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 discovered my passion for language and the Greek New Testament through his class at 蜜桃传媒. Later on, I got my first faculty job teaching Greek.鈥�
Jennifer studied dance with professor Erlyne Whiteman. 鈥淚鈥檓 forever grateful for the training and mentoring I received from her,鈥� Jennifer says. 鈥淪he taught me to see dance through a theological and biblical lens. I now have the privilege of passing that perspective on to dancers at Wheaton as their faculty adviser.鈥�
After graduating, Jennifer enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Divinity and met and married her husband, David McNutt. 鈥淚 prepared for both ordination and a doctoral program there,鈥� she says. After David and Jennifer graduated, they got married and moved to St. Andrews, Scotland, to begin graduate degrees at the university. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in history from the Reformation Studies Institute at St. Andrews and also studied at the University of Geneva. She split her time between Scotland and Geneva, where she conducted research in the Archives de Geneve. The McNutts then moved to England so David could complete a Doctor of Philosophy in theology at Cambridge University.
Jennifer joined the graduate school faculty at Wheaton College in 2008, the same year the first of their three children was born. Two years later, she was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). In 2019, she became the Franklin S. Dyrness professor in biblical and theological studies, an endowed chair honoring a scholar committed to the Reformed tradition, the Westminster Confession of Faith and the legacy of John Calvin.
Jennifer serves as lead editor for 鈥淭he Oxford Handbook of the Bible and the Reformation鈥� (Oxford University Press). She co-edited 鈥淭he People鈥檚 Book: The Reformation and the Bible鈥� (InterVarsity Press) and is editing a volume for the Reformation Commentary on Scripture series (InterVarsity Press Academic). Her ongoing archival research explores the history of the French Bible. Other projects include a social history of John Calvin鈥檚 thought and a textbook on Reformation theology.
Both Jennifer and David serve as parish associates at the First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn. David also teaches at Wheaton part time and serves as a full-time academic editor at InterVarsity Press. The couple founded McNuttshell Ministries to coordinate their teaching, preaching and writing activities. They enjoy working together and are co-authoring a book, 鈥淜now the Theologians,鈥� forthcoming from Zondervan Academic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a joy and privilege to equip congregants as well as future leaders of the church in the classroom to serve the Lord as thoughtful and faithful Christians,鈥� Jennifer says. 鈥淭he need is immense, and we鈥檙e doing what we can to answer the call.鈥�