MILLIGAN, Tenn. (March 13, 2026) — Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan will celebrate the retirement of two beloved, long-term professors with a “Last Lectures” series this spring.
Dr. Paul Blowers, the Dean E. Walker professor of church history, will present “Theatrical Preaching in the Early Church” on Thursday, March 19, at 11 a.m.
Dr. Rollin Ramsaran, professor of New Testament and Christian origins, will deliver “I Am Not Alone: The Believer’s Robust Sense of ‘Self’ According to Paul” on Thursday, April 9, at 11 a.m.
Both lectures are free and open to the public and will be held in the Mildred Welshimer Phillips Memorial Chapel in Milligan’s B.D. Phillips Building on Emmanuel Hill.
“Drs. Blowers and Ramsaran have taught a combined 69 years at Emmanuel, which is longer than the seminary has been in existence,” said Dr. Ron Kastens, academic dean of Emmanuel. “Their impact upon Emmanuel is incalculable. Every student who has journeyed through Emmanuel over the past 35 years has been taught and shaped by them for the service of Christ and the church.”
Emmanuel’s tradition of the Last Lecture honors long-serving faculty, often upon their retirement. The last lecture captures the heart of their scholarship, deepest passions as teachers, and their wisdom for the next generation of ministers and students.
“Drs. Blowers and Ramsaran are scholars, teachers and mentors whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom,” said Kastens. “For decades, they have modeled what it means to love God with both heart and mind. We are grateful for their contributions through the years and look forward to the opportunity to honor them in this way.”
Paul Blowers
In addition to teaching courses in church history and historical theology, Blowers has been involved in various faculty committees and has served in leadership roles at both Emmanuel and Milligan. His scholarly work has focused on early Christianity and patristics, with an emphasis on the thought and literature of the church fathers.
Blowers is a former president of the North American Patristics Society and was a Henry Luce III Fellow in Theology during the 2017-18 academic year. More recently, he delivered the opening plenary address at the International Conference on Patristic Studies at Oxford University in August 2024. He has authored, edited or translated 12 books and written numerous essays for academic journals and edited volumes. Among his notable works are three monographs published by Oxford University Press, along with his contributions to the “Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Biblical Interpretation” and “The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement.”
Blowers received his bachelor’s degree from Milligan, his Master of Divinity from Emmanuel, and a master’s degree and doctorate in theology from the University of Notre Dame.
Rollin Ramsaran
Ramsaran served as the academic dean of Emmanuel from 2008-10 and from 2013-23. Throughout his tenure, his research has focused on the moral teachings of the Apostle Paul, the role of Jesus in the early church and the sociopolitical context of the first century. He also specializes in Greco-Roman history, literature, rhetoric and their application to New Testament interpretation, with his more recent research focusing on orality, performance criticism and storytelling.
Ramsaran is active in the Association of Theological Schools and the Network of Biblical Storytellers. He has authored “Liberating Words: Paul’s Use of Rhetorical Maxims in 1 Corinthians 1–10” and written articles in Catholic Biblical Quarterly and Leaven. His scholarly work contributes to both theological education and church renewal.
Ramsaran received his bachelor’s degree from Pacific Christian College (now Hope International University), his master’s degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and his doctorate in New Testament and Christian origins from Boston University.
For more information on Emmanuel, visit ecs.milligan.edu.