During their time at Covenant, professors will occasionally take leave from the classroom and go on a sabbatical for a semester or two. While not all sabbaticals are structured the same, a professor’s time absent from campus is more productive and busy than most students may think.
Next semester, Dr. Kelly Kapic, professor of biblical and theological studies, will be on sabbatical until the beginning of Spring 2025. To the dismay of students who love his classes, this unfortunately means no Kapic doctrine for a year. However, Kapic is excited for the work he will be doing during his time away.
While he will not be teaching, he plans to continue working and serving the college in other meaningful ways. He says that professor sabbaticals are not so much about rest or free time, although this is a common misconception among students. Instead, Kapic’s sabbatical will be spent working full-time on various projects and engagements.
“Sabbaticals are about ceasing from one kind of work to do another,” he said.
In order to cease from teaching and take on other responsibilities, Kapic has received a grant from a foundation that is funding his sabbatical. Over the course of the year, his schedule will be full with researching, writing and speaking.
Speaking venues will include different colleges and high schools, as well as churches and conferences. These appearances allow Kapic a platform for his present and past projects, while giving him the opportunity to introduce churches, pastors and prospective students to Covenant. He also hopes to speak in Covenant’s chapel a few times.
Another one of his goals for his sabbatical is to make significant progress on his writing projects. Kapic is currently writing three new books. The first is on the theology of the Christian life, which he has been working on for many years. The second is a book on suffering that he is co-authoring with a psychologist and another philosopher/theologian. And his last book focuses on the Puritan theologian, John Owen, in his context among other theologians.
Out of these books, Kapic is most hoping to finish and turn in his “Theology of a Christian Life,” indicating that we can look forward to this release sometime after his sabbatical.
While his time away from campus will be full and well-spent, Kapic admits that he is going to dearly miss the Covenant community, particularly his students and teaching in the classroom.
“I will miss the student engagement,” he said. “I love being with the students, and I love the classroom experience. The students are very energizing with their questions. I love watching them learn.”
Even though his grant is freeing him from teaching, Kapic believes that his time on sabbatical will make him a better professor when he returns. For Kapic, one of the goals of research, writing and speaking is to enhance his skills and effectiveness in the classroom.
While students, faculty and staff will miss his presence on campus, they are grateful for the faithful work he will accomplish over the year for the college and the kingdom of God. Covenant anticipates his return in the spring, 2025.