Religion Professor Dyron B. Daughrity Elected Incoming President of the American Society of Church History

Dyron Daughrity, Pepperdine University divisional dean of religion and philosophy and William S. Banowsky Chair in Religion, has been elected incoming president of the American Society of Church History (ASCH). 

Considered one of the most distinguished historical societies in the United States since its founding in 1888 by the eminent historian Philip Schaff, Daughrity has held membership in the organization for nearly two decades. In this new role, which will transition to president of the organization after the first year, Daughrity will contribute to overseeing the society’s major operations, which include hosting national conferences, publishing the journal Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture (Cambridge University Press), and cultivating a scholarly community dedicated to ecclesiastical history.  

A scholar of church history and global Christianity, Daughrity has authored and edited more than 20 books on these and adjacent topics. As senior minister for Hilltop Community Church of Christ in El Segundo, California, he considers this new appointment at ASCH to be an extension of such ongoing ministry. 

“It is an honor to be given this position,” says Daughrity. “Leadership is best executed from a posture of service, and when you think about the word ‘administration’ it evokes the word ‘ministry.’ My philosophy about any administrative position I hold is that it’s a position of ministry first. Meaning, I am ensuring healthy functionality of an organization, as a church minister does.” 

Daughrity (left) together with fellow ASCH conference panel members

For the past three years, Daughrity held the position as ASCH’s Research and Prizes Committee chair and has served as a member of the organization’s council. Furthermore, he has spearheaded the society’s World Christianity Joint Working Group, served on the Annual Conference Program Committee, and mentors members who are at earlier stages of their careers.  

Church history, Daughrity explains, is crucial for both the academy and the Christian church. From the fulfillment of Old Testament promises and early churches held under intense persecution to Christianity’s expansion into a global faith, Daughrity notes that church history reflects the history of ancient civilizations. In this light, he contends that concerted efforts to preserve church history are vital to the church itself, especially Protestant churches that operate without the internal scaffolding found in Catholic and Orthodox traditions. 

“Religion has always been a key part of human history, and on the one hand, the Christian faith has shaped civilization both inside and outside the West in crucial ways. On the other hand, church history is helpful for the church: it connects us to others, helps us guard against repeating past mistakes, provides us with role models, and reminds us of the faithfulness of God throughout the generations,” he explains.

ASCH group meal 2024

As ASCH president, Daughrity will continue publishing on ecclesiastical history. Christians in the City of Los Angeles, his exciting upcoming book, will be featured within Bloomsbury Academic’s Christians in the City series, which he serves as editor-in-chief. Despite prevalent stereotypes of secularism, Daughrity’s historical research sheds light on the City of Angels’ profound Christian roots. 

“Los Angeles,” he says, “is one of the meccas of American Christianity.” Considering the city’s Catholic foundings in 1781, initially monikered the Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels, Daughrity explains Los Angeles remains “the largest Catholic diocese in America” with around four million members.   

Gracing through the 20th century, Daughrity’s book will also trace the city’s pulsebeat of Protestantism, beginning with movements such as the Azusa Street Revivals from 1906 to 1913, considered the birthplace of modern Pentecostalism. Hollywood, Daughrity adds, has contributed to Christian storytelling, including golden-age epics such as The Ten Commandments, along with more recent productions of The Passion of the Christ and the television series The Chosen. “When those two forces—Christianity and Hollywood—team up they make a splash,” Daughrity muses. 

With his extensive publication history and ministerial background, as ASCH incoming president, Daughrity shares he is devoted to furthering the preservation and relevance of church history. And as a Pepperdine scholar, Daughrity maintains that the highest priority through all his work is to serve as a vessel to fulfill God’s greater purpose. 

“There’s nothing more significant than putting God at the center of one’s life,” says Daughrity, “which I am grateful to do through research and teaching, as well as through administrative posts. I pray that God would keep me centered on the fact that my reason for being alive is to serve Him.”