“The installation of a University Chancellor on this occasion is of particular significance.  It entrusts the leadership of Eastern’s sacred work of interpretation, formation and scholarship, along with the administrative operations essential to that threefold vocation, into the prayerful hands of a remarkable scholar-teacher, Christopher Hall,” Eastern University President Dr. David Black said.  This leadership will also allow Dr. Black to dedicate his time to the pursuit of funds for scholarships, several facilities, and endowment.

“My expectation is that over time Eastern University will become widely known as a university where spiritual formation and character deepening is taken seriously, in the classroom and out,” Dr. Hall said.  “This emphasis is already present in a variety of course offerings.”

Dr. Hall has served in the pastorate overseas (France, 5 years) and in Canada (British Columbia, 2 years). He also served as Director of Pastoral Care at a New Jersey psychiatric hospital. He has ministered in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle-East, Canada, and the United States. 

In addition, he is an associate editor with Thomas C. Oden of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series (IVP), and has published articles and reviews in Christianity Today, Catalyst, Christian History, inMinistry, Books and Culture, Christian Scholars Review, Modern Theology, and Crux.
 
Dr. Hall is author and editor of a number of books including Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: The Gospel of Mark, with Thomas C. Oden, (InterVarsity Press, June, 1998); Reading the Scripture with the Fathers (InterVarsity Press, September, 1998); Realized Religion: Research on Religion and Health, with Theodore Chamberlain (Templeton Foundation Press, Fall 2000); Ancient and Postmodern Christianity, with Kenneth Tanner (IVP, 2002); Studying Theology with the Church Fathers (InterVarsity Press, 2002); The Trinity, with Roger Olson (Eerdmans, 2002); Worshiping with the Church Fathers (InterVarsity Press); and Does God Have a Future: A Debate on Divine Providence, with John Sanders (Baker Academic, 2003).

He has also authored Making Room for God: Spiritual Formation for Christian Leaders with Dr. David Fraser (The Center for Organizational Excellence, 1997), a modularized audio and print curriculum adopted by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities.

“Just this past week one faculty member expressed moderate anxiety to me over the title ‘chancellor,’” Dr. Hall said.  “The term seemed to connote power, authority, command, control, clout, muscle.  So let’s be clear from the beginning: I’m here to serve you as well as I can by God’s grace as I attempt, however brokenly, to shape my actions on the model of service Christ has given to us all.  Jesus didn’t boss people; he didn’t push people around; he refused to exalt himself above others.”

Dr. Hall is a member of the Episcopal Church (Anglican).  He and his wife Debbie have three children, Nathan, Nathalie, and Joshua.