Jacqueline E. Lapsley
President and Professor of Old Testament in the Walter W. Moore and Charles E. S. Kraemer Presidential Chairs
Email: jlapsley@upsem.edu
Location: Richmond
Department: Bible
Our students learn from and develop relationships with our highly regarded faculty, many of whom are globally recognized as leading experts in their field of study.
Email: jlapsley@upsem.edu
Location: Richmond
Department: Bible
Emory University, Ph.D.
Princeton Theological Seminary, M.Div.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, M.A.
Smith College, A.B.
Jacqueline E. Lapsley is President of Union Presbyterian Seminary, Richmond, VA and Charlotte, NC. She was called to the position in 2023 after serving at Princeton Theological Seminary for 25 years.
A noted Old Testament scholar, Dr. Lapsley earned her Ph.D. from Emory University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her A.B. from Smith College.
Dr. Lapsley’s bold vision for theological education is intentionally focused. “The diversity of the world God creates, redeems, and sustains must be reflected on our campuses in order to shape leaders for the world God so loves. The gospel calls us to speak into the difficult challenges facing society, including issues of justice, equity, and belonging. Theological education helps people thrive wherever they are called.”
Jacq Lapsley is married to Rev. Greg Bezilla, an Episcopal priest; they have two adult children. She is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Co-author, Bible and Ethics in the Christian Life: A New Conversation (Fortress)
Author, Whispering the Word: Hearing Women’s Stories in the Old Testament (Westminster John Knox)
Co-editor, A Women’s Bible Commentary, Revised, 3rd Edition (20th Anniversary Edition) (Westminster John Knox)
Associate Editor, A Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (Baker Academic)
Co-Editor, After Exegesis: Feminist Biblical Theology (Baylor University Press)
