Evan Lenow, associate professor and chair of Christian Studies at Mississippi College, has been named the university’s 2026 Mississippi Humanities Council (MHC) Teacher of the Year. He also serves as director of the Institute for Christian Leadership at MC.
As part of this recognition, Lenow will present a lecture titled “Retrieving Virtue, Moral Character Development as an Act of Worship.” The event is scheduled for Monday, March 2, at 3:30 p.m. in Anderson Hall East at the B.C. Rogers Student Center.
Lenow plans to discuss how recovering virtue can help reshape lives according to religious expectations. “Ethics is about character – who we are, not merely what we do,” Lenow said. “God’s concern is primarily about the type of person that I’m becoming. Our focus should not simply be on following rules, but on becoming virtuous people.
“From a Christian standpoint, Augustine identified the theological virtues of faith, hope and love that we see in 1 Corinthians 13. The idea is that, as we develop these character traits, they shape who we are and what we do, and they help us create habits that continue throughout our lives.”
The Mississippi Humanities Council annually honors individuals and organizations making contributions to public humanities in the state. The council also presents Humanities Teacher Awards to outstanding faculty members in traditional humanities disciplines across Mississippi colleges and universities.
Stephanie Busbea, dean of the School of Christian Studies, Humanities and the Arts at MC, highlighted Lenow’s achievements as reasons for his selection. “Evan Lenow is well respected in the field of Christian ethics,” Busbea said. “His book, ‘Ethics as Worship: The Pursuit of Moral Discipleship,’ is an important contribution to the field of Christian ethics and discipleship.
“We have benefited greatly from having Dr. Lenow teach in the Christian Studies department. He is an excellent speaker, and I am looking forward to his lecture.”
Lenow earned his undergraduate degree from Mississippi College before obtaining a Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in Christian ethics from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to joining MC’s faculty, he held positions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary including associate professor of ethics and director roles related to cultural engagement and stewardship.
He currently serves as a research fellow in Christian ethics for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. In addition to coauthoring “Ethics as Worship” with Mark D. Liederbach, Lenow has written two other books: “Biblically Correct: Engaging Culture with Truth” and “Biblically Sound: Embracing Doctrine for Life.” He also directs the Clinton extension campus for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Lenow expressed gratitude for being selected by MHC for this honor. “I hope my presentation will be something that gets people at MC – who are already concerned about the things of God – to focus their attention away from rote obedience to God and instead, focus their attention on the subject of our worship, which is God,” he said. “In our pursuit to become more Christ-like – taking on the mind of Christ and being conformed into Christ’s image – we can develop these virtues.”
He will be recognized during MHC’s 2026 Public Humanities Awards ceremony on Friday, March 20 at Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson. Tickets are available through MHC’s website for $50 each.
