An Interview with Dr. Dixon

Editor’s Note: We sat down recently with Rob Dixon, a newly minted Doctor of Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, to talk to Rob about his program, what he learned, and what’s up next for him.

Challenging Tertullian: Welcome, Rob. So you’ve just finished your doctorate. You’re big time now, right?

Rob Dixon: Thanks for having me, but I don’t know about “big time.” After all, let’s not miss the fact that I’m currently interviewing myself on my own blog…

CT: Well, can we call you Dr. Dixon now?

RD: You can. Fuller’s policy is that a student can use the honorific once their dissertation is published to the online dissertation library, and I accomplished that on Friday, January 26th. Here’s a fun fact: I’m actually the second Dr. Dixon to graduate from Fuller; my uncle Jim Dixon graduated with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1976.

CT: Wonderful! And how does it feel to be done?

RD: A mix of feelings for sure. I feel a lot of relief that it’s over and the dissertation is done. I also feel a ton of excitement at introducing the world to what I’ve learned. And a part of me is even sad; I’m going to miss the learning process. It’s a curious mix of emotions.

CT: So you’re moving forward as Dr. Dixon. Really, what are your thoughts on that title?

RD: To be honest, my first inclination is to deflect. I just saw someone using “Dr. Dixon” the other day (here), and it was kind of crazy. If you know me, you know that I’m a pretty informal person. So by temperament, I’m instinctively reluctant to embrace this idea that I’m an expert in something. On top of that, the more I learn and the deeper I dig into topics like the one on this blog, the more aware I become of how much I don’t know. So, I think there’s some inner spiritual work for me to do as I step into my leadership and authority as someone with a doctorate. It’s going to take some getting used to.

CT: But are you open to people calling you Dr. Dixon?

RD: They can call me whatever they want to, lol. Or, perhaps we should pick a day a year when I can only be called Dr. Dixon? We could go with January 26?

CT: Your degree is a Doctor of Intercultural Studies. Is that a Ph.D?

RD: It’s not a Ph.D, but I get that a lot. Sometimes I correct people, sometimes I don’t. The D.I.S., and its cousin, the Doctor of Missiology degree, is a four-year, primarily online program with a wonderful blend of theory and praxis. I’ve loved my program. Folks can find more information here.

CT: Can people read your dissertation?

RD: I heartily recommend it if they are having trouble sleeping! A lot of friends and family have asked if they can read my dissertation, and it’s flattering. But a dissertation is not an easy thing to read, particularly if you are not in the academy. It’s pretty technical at points, it’s written in an academic style, and, at more than 170 pages, it’s a bit of a beast to digest. So when people tell me they want to read it, I usually tell them to wait a bit and I’ll send them a 10 page summary. I’m working on that right now and will have that ready soon.

CT: Can you put your topic into a paragraph or so?

RD: Your question reminds of what we do with college students at the end of a short-term missions trip, when we coach them to tell their story in 30 minute, 5 minute and 1 minute versions. The short version is this: I’ve just spent four years understanding what flourishing male/female ministry partnerships look like in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. In that process, I’ve created a training model that groups 10 distinct attributes into 3 domains which, taken together, form mixed gender partnerships that are personally satisfying and missionally effective. There you go. Just two sentences!

CT: Now that you have your doctorate, are you planning to teach?

RD: I actually have turned in my application to do adjunct work at a campus near me, but I don’t have any plans to teach full time. While I think I would enjoy teaching, I’m not ready to be full-time in a classroom yet. I’ve been in ministry for a long time, more than 20 years. I’m a practitioner who is still learning, and I’m not yet ready to give that up. In fact, I’m eager to take what I’ve learned in my program out for a test drive in my ministry!

CT: Are there people you want to thank, now that you’re at the end of the doctoral road?

RD: Indeed there are. As was true when I finished my MAGL, it’s taken a village to get this degree done. In the dissertation, I got to write a dedication page and an acknowledgements section. Those were holy moments for me, because it’s true to say that without my friends and family, there would be no Dr. Dixon. I appreciate my research subjects, my staff team, friends who helped in various ways, our extended family, and, of course, Amy and the kids. Everyone has been so supportive, and I’m grateful.

CT: Last question. What are your next steps? Now that you’ve finished your dissertation, what will you work on next?

RD: My dissertation advisor told our cohort several times that the finish line is also a starting line. And as I said earlier, I’m eager to shepherd what I’ve learned into the world, both in InterVarsity and beyond. I’m convinced that my model can help a church that I think is frankly foundering in the era of #metoo and #churchtoo. So I have a few things brewing. I’m working on a website, I’m plotting some writing projects, and I’ll be speaking on flourishing male/female ministry partnerships several times in 2018. I’m pretty excited for everything that is to come this year!

CT: Well, thanks for being with us. We’re excited to see where all of this goes for you. Just please don’t neglect this blog!

RD: Thanks and I’ll try not to!