By: Leo Percer, Ph.D. | June 22, 2025
On May 23, 2025, a beloved colleague, friend, and professor passed into the presence of the Lord he loved. Dr. John Douglas Morrison was my friend, but he was also a professor of great integrity, intellect, and scholarship. Many of the contributors to Bellator Christi studied under Dr. Morrison at Liberty University (particularly in the PhD in Theology and Apologetics program). I supervised that program and worked with John as he taught multiple classes like the Theology of the Bible, the Doctrine of God, Defending Jesus: Issues in Christology, and Defending the Spirit: Issues in Pneumatology. John served as a Professor of Theology at Liberty University for 36 years, and his teaching inspired and encouraged many.
John Morrison was a man of degrees, graduating as an undergraduate from the University of Montana and then going on to earn two master's degrees from Western Baptist Theological Seminary and an MA and a PhD (Philosophical Theology) from the University of Virginia. He published many articles and books and presented many papers at conferences. Prior to his time in academia, he was a high school English teacher, coach (track, football, and basketball), and he also spent about 7 years as a pastor. John was also a devoted and loving family man. Married to Ellen for almost 50 years, John loved to spend time with his daughter and son (and their spouses). He genuinely enjoyed time with his 10 grandchildren (not to mention his siblings, cousins, and other family).
Those who work with Bellator Christi will remember John Morrison for his work at Liberty. He was a meticulous grader who set high standards for his students. Then again, he set high standards for himself. John wanted all who defended Christian theology to do it with excellence. His markings on papers are pretty much legendary for their sheer number and bold honesty. If you read the comments alone, you could be afraid you failed the paper. I once reminded a student to look at the grade on his paper PRIOR to reading the comments from Dr. Morrison. John later admitted that a lot of the comments were for his benefit rather than for the student! He wanted to represent God and Scripture well.
In class, John was known for his amazing recall and ability to interact with a wide range of scholars. An expert on Karl Barth, he could quote Barth in German and then cite the volume and page number! He loved books, and he always had more than one copy of each book so that he could mark a copy up and keep one without notes.
He also loved his students. He pushed them to be better defenders of the Christian faith because he wanted them to be better Christians. He encouraged them regularly to "Persevere" throughout life. His catchphrase was often uttered to a student who struggled to live faithfully or to write well, but he always meant it as a reminder to us all: the goal is Jesus, and our mission is to "persevere" in our pursuit of his gracious plans in our lives. John's own life was characterized by perseverance in humility and loyalty. John regularly treated others with kindness and service, and those who were privileged to know him found him to be a loyal friend.
Most of all, John Morrison loved God and Scripture. His first loyalty was always to know God's Word and to be like Jesus. To do that, he threw himself into the study of theology and the application of the Bible. John was a defender of Scripture, a firm believer that God continues to speak to humans through the written text and through the ongoing revelation of Jesus. He taught us all to take seriously the written Word of God so that we might more effectively imitate Jesus. John Morrison did both very well.
My friendship with John grew, and after he retired from the university, several of us from Liberty were blessed to have lunch together periodically. He always had a smile and a word of encouragement. His kindness and encouragement blessed us, and I think I'll miss that the most. Most importantly, he consistently held us to his own standard of excellence in defending Scripture and Christian theology. Thank you, John Morrison!
On behalf of all of us at Bellator Christi, join us in praying for the family and friends of Dr. John Morrison. May his tribe increase! As John would say, "Persevere, brothers and sisters."
About the Author
Leo Percer grew up in Millington, Tennessee, northeast of Memphis, when he first received his call to teaching ministry. He has been involved in numerous ministerial activities, including serving as an elder at Forest Community Church in Forest, Virginia. Dr. Leo Percer graduated with a Ph.D. from Baylor University, an M.A. from Western Kentucky University, and M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a B.A. from Union University.
After graduating with his Ph.D., Dr. Percer has taught at Baylor University, McLennan Community College, and Liberty University, where he served as the Director of the Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics program for years. His area of expertise is in Second Temple Judaism, the Epistles of Paul, and apocalyptic literature. Dr. Percer is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Society of Biblical Literature, and is on the board of directors at Ratio Christi. Dr. Percer resides in Lynchburg, VA with his wonderful wife, Lisa, and two children. He loves reading, collecting comic books, and is a coffee connoisseur.
