Frederick Aquino named as the Edward and Emma Lehman Chair of Christian Doctrine

DALLAS (SMU) – Upon the recommendation of Leighton K. Farrell Endowed Dean Bryan P. Stone, SMU’s Executive Vice President and Provost, Rachel Davis Mersey has appointed Frederick Aquino as the Edward and Emma Lehman Chair of Christian Doctrine, effective August 1, 2026.

The chair has been held since 2011 by Professor Bruce Marshall, who is retiring this year. Aquino will be the fifth faculty member in the history of Southern Methodist University to hold the Chair.

“Dr. Frederick Aquino’s appointment to the Lehman Chair of Christian Doctrine is both fitting and deeply encouraging for the future of Perkins,” said Stone. “His scholarship is marked by intellectual rigor, theological depth, and a rare capacity to engage Christian doctrine with philosophical imagination and the urgent questions of our time. Dr. Aquino is a gifted teacher, a prolific scholar, and a generous colleague whose work bridges the academy and the life of faith. In Dr. Aquino, we see a theologian who not only interprets the richness of the Christian tradition but also equips others to inhabit it faithfully in a complex and changing world. The Lehman Chair could not be entrusted to more thoughtful or capable hands.”

Aquino, who received his Ph.D. in religious studies from SMU in 2000, has served on the Perkins faculty since 2023 as professor of systematic theology. His research interests include deification, soteriology, philosophy of perception, epistemology and philosophy of religion, with a focus on the works of John Cassian, John Henry Newman and Maximus the Confessor.

Aquino’s scholarship on John Henry Newman has contributed to broader academic and ecclesial conversations surrounding Newman’s recognition as a Doctor of the Church. His work on Newman led to his participation in the Positio, the formal document supporting Newman’s recognition, and he was present at the Vatican for the official declaration — marking a significant moment in his scholarly work and personal vocation. 

“I am humbled to be appointed to the Lehman Chair and honored to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before me,” said Aquino. “This is a wonderful opportunity to explore the intersection of theology and other disciplines regarding questions of importance. I look forward to continuing my engagement with scholars across the wider SMU community. I am also deeply grateful to Dean Stone for his trust and support in this position.”

Aquino’s recent publications include two collections of essays, John Henry Newman’s An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of Assent: A Critical Guide and John Henry Newman and Contemporary Philosophy.

With this appointment, Perkins School of Theology continues a legacy of theologians dedicated to rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary engagement. An official installation service for Dr. Aquino will be held in the fall semester.

Perkins School of Theology, founded in 1911, is one of five official University-related schools of theology of The United Methodist Church. Degree programs include the Master of Divinity, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Theological Studies, Master of Arts in Ministry, Master of Theology, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Pastoral Music as well as the Ph.D., in cooperation with The Graduate Program in Religious Studies at SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.