Steven Sadler

Contact Information:
Department of Religion
Baylor University
One Bear Place #97284
Waco, TX 76798-7284

Office: Tidwell 306

Phone: (254) 710-6334
FAX: (254) 710-3740

Email:
Steven_Sadler@baylor.edu

Senior Lecturer

Education:

PhD, Baylor University, Historical Theology
BA, Baylor University, Religion

Biography:

After graduating from Baylor ('74) Steve spent almost twenty years in Baptist ministry-pastoring, university ministries, denominational service. Then, in 1993, at the invitation of President Herbert Reynolds, Dr. Sadler returned to Baylor as the Interim Director of the Baptist Student Union at Baylor, 1993-1995, and "backed in" to a teaching career as a part-time adjunct in the Department of Religion. In 1995 he began the fulltime joyful trek through the required Bible survey classes, each semester with hundreds of Baylor students. And that has been his primary task and joy for almost 15 years. Along the way he has done a lot of what he calls "bootleggin the gospel" as "interim" pastor to a number of Texas churches, helped direct the university's honors program for while, assisted the Baylor baseball program as a backup, utility chaplain, and most recently tried his hand at the Faculty Senate and Executive Committee of the Senate. Every now and then Steve dabbles in the classroom in upper level ethics courses, but finds his real passion in helping the ever-changing Baylor student body still find positive experiences learning about the sacred texts and traditions behind Baylor's unique Baptist heritage.

Steve was, for 10 years married to Deborah Smith Sadler (BU class of '73) from which came his two daughters Allison (BU 2007), now joined by a son-in-law Brian Thompson, and Emily (Trinity University 2009). Steve is currently married to Julie Farmer Sadler (BU 1982), who has three daughters, Chelsea, Mallory, and McKenzie.

Academic Interests and Research:

Anything related to the history of Baylor, thus Steve's editing of two publications, What a World, the Collected Essays of Ralph Lynn (1999) and No Little Plans, the Presidential Leadership of Herbert H. Reynolds, 1980-1995.

Academically, Steve stays pretty close to his primary role of lecturing to the large Intro classes but if he takes the time, bioethics, worship, and anything related to the changing world of Baptists garner his attention for reading/research.

Courses Taught at Baylor:

REL 1301 Introduction to the Old Testament
REL 1311 Introduction to the New Testament
REL 1315 Introduction to the Bible
REL 1310 The Christian Scriptures
REL 1350 The Christian Heritage
Honors 1351 Intellectual History of Western Culture (Honors)
FYS 1000 Imago Dei: Living and Dying in the Image of God (Honors)
Honors 3200/01 Honors Reading Colloquium
Honors 4201/02 Honors Thesis Research
BIC 3351 The Christian Faith and Contemporary Ethical Issues
REL 3390 Introduction to Christian Ethics