James R. Payton Jr.

Dr. Payton joined the faculty of McMaster Divinity College in 2021. He is Professor Emeritus of History at Redeemer University, where he taught Eastern European history and Church history. Before that, he served eight years as a pastor. Jim has also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), St. Stephen’s College (University of Alberta), Evangelical Theological Seminary (Osijek, Croatia), and Matthias Flacius Illyricus Faculty of Theology (Zagreb, Croatia).

He has been extensively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities in both Eastern Europe and North America. He served as Executive Secretary (1998–2006) and as President (2006–2011) of CAREE (Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern Europe), a UN-endorsed NGO which worked for peace, justice, and reconciliation in and for the region for more than forty years. He served as member (2006–2021) and Christian chair (2008–2011) of the National Muslim-Christian Liaison Committee. He has a wide range of academic specializations in history and historical theology, including the history of Eastern Europe, the intellectual history of Eastern Orthodoxy, the Reformation era, and a long-standing special interest in Patristics.