I don’t think I’ve ever known someone so humble and hungry to learn—even from his students, even from his undergrads—as Dr. Leithart. He loves the subjects he teaches in such an un-possessive way; he both cares for and respects his students enough to interact earnestly with their ideas. I’ve witnessed him approach every topic on the table for discussion—from a biblical perspective on Empire to the theological insights of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory— with the same eagerness and jollity. He couples an openness of mind and generosity of ideas with a loyalty to the truth; he teaches his students how to think creatively, but always for the purpose of getting at the truth that sometimes can only be gotten at creatively. If the Trinity Institute can produce more academics and theologians like him, then the academic/theological world will be more and more a place of living ideas, and of the humility that allows those ideas to flourish.
Leta Sundet, MA Student, New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho
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