The James Wm. McClendon Chair for Baptistic and Evangelical Theologies was installed on september 1st 2017 at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and dedicated to the baptistic, free church mentality, theology and reasoning of James Wm. McClendon (1924-2000). His basic premise may be summarized to radical christian materialism: Christianity is about knowing and obeying Christ as bodily as it can be, as an individual follower of Christ, and as a participant in His community. Christian faith materializes; otherwise it may be deemed illusive or defective. Such emphasis on the morality of bodily presence automatically comes with the history and lived tradition of the Baptist, Anabaptist and Free Church tradition. Major voices from these springs have always underscored the Christ-centred visibility of the Christian faith.
The McClendon Chair for Baptistic & Evangelical Theologies is determined to hold on to these core values, to study them, and to be committed to living them out.