OVIEDO, Fla. — Reformed Theological Seminary is pleased to announce that Dr. J. Nicholas Reid has been promoted from Associate Professor to Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, effective June 1, 2023.
Dr. Reid joined the faculty of RTS Orlando in 2017 and also serves as Director of the Hybrid MDiv Program. He teaches core courses related to Old Testament and covenant theology and offers advanced electives in the languages and cultures of the Ancient Near East. Prior to RTS, he taught Old Testament at Reformation Bible College and held a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University.
A native of Mississippi, Dr. Reid earned a B.F.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary before completing postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, including an M.Th. in Hebrew Bible and Old Testament from the University of Aberdeen as well as an M.St. in Cuneiform studies and a D.Phil. in Oriental studies with an emphasis in Cuneiform from the University of Oxford. He is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and has served recently as Assistant Pastor at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Orlando.
“In addition to being a distinguished scholar of the ancient Near East and a devoted churchman, Dr. Reid has exhibited exceptional leadership as Director of the Hybrid MDiv Program, contributing to its remarkable growth over the past six years,” said RTS Orlando President Scott Swain. “Above all, his love of the Lord Jesus Christ makes him a treasured colleague, professor, and mentor.”
Academic Dean Michael Allen said, “We often speak of the faculty being the curriculum, shaping student formation more than any other factor. Dr. Reid has added to that living curriculum an exemplary commitment to academic rigor of the highest order, to passionate teaching in the classroom, service at his local congregation, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, and a hospitable welcome to students near and far.”
Dr. Reid’s research interests cover a broad range of topics, including social history of Israel and the ancient Near East, the biblical text, and unpublished epistolary, literary, and administrative cuneiform texts. He is the author of numerous books, book chapters, and academic articles, including Prisons in Ancient Mesopotamia (Oxford University Press, 2022). He served on the editorial team of a major volume produced by RTS professors, Covenant Theology: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Perspectives (Crossway, 2020). He also contributes to the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative as a North American Partner.
Dr. Reid and his wife Blair live in the greater Orlando area with their four children.