Dr. James R. Thobaben
Professor of Church in Society
Expertise:
- Bioethics
- Social Ethics
- Sociology of Religion
- Rural Life
Education:
- B.A., Oberlin College, 1976; M.Div., Yale Divinity School, 1979; M.P.H., Yale Medical School, 1984; Ph.D., Emory University, 1994.
Dr. Thobaben came to Asbury Seminary in 1995 with a wide range of experience in ethics. Most recently he served as vice president for ethics and research at Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center. In addition, Dr. Thobaben has spoken extensively on various topics in bioethics and has served as an ethics consultant for several healthcare institutions. Dr. Thobaben’s specific interests in bioethics are disability issues and rural bioethics, including the development of genetically modified organisms. During 2001-2002, Dr. Thobaben was Visiting Ethics Scholar in Molecular Biology at the University of Missouri. In addition to his work at Asbury, Dr. Thobaben remains very involved with local church ministry. In his home conference, he served on the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Board of Church and Society, and the Episcopacy Committee. Currently, he pastors a small rural church and supervises Asbury students interested in rural ministry. Dr. Thobaben and his wife, Marcelyn, have two children: Zak and Becca.