After 17 years of serving in the church south of Cambridge, Dr Holland established another one in a nearby town that also grew. In this season he was invited to become New Testament lecturer at what is now Union School of Theology in Bridgend, a position he held for 25 years. Soon after becoming a lecturer, Tom earned his PhD from the University of Wales for research into The Paschal New Exodus Motif. The title of his thesis was ‘Paul’s Letter to the Romans with Special Attention to its Christological Significance’, University of Wales, Lampeter,1997). A study that the two examiners hailed as groundbreaking.

Dr Holland went on to become the Director of Biblical Research at the school, supervising over 25 students as they worked for their doctoral degrees. He also taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Dr Holland’s research and writings have established him as the world’s leading authority on the importance of the Paschal New Exodus Motif. His understanding that Paul used the Old Testament to make his case for gentile inclusion in the New Covenant Community has unlocked enormous insights. These have shown that the Hebrew Scriptures contain nine different meanings for the term ‘justify’. Importantly these same meanings were carried over when the term was used by the New Testament writers.

In recognition of his work, Dr Holland was invited to give the prestigious 2015 triannual lecture in Biblical Theology at the Tyndale Fellowship in Cambridge. This was a conference in which several hundred scholars from around the world had assembled to consider the latest findings in biblical and theological research. The glowing reviews from world-leading scholars that endorsed his extensive published books are evidence of the high esteem in which his works are held. Dr Holland has also been a visiting lecturer at various universities and seminaries around the world.

The focus of Dr Holland’s, books have always been the Church, not the academy. While his insights have been welcomed and accepted by many leading scholars and theologians throughout the world, he measures the success of his writings by whether they have helped believers grasp a fuller understanding of the glory of the person of Jesus Christ and the salvation His death and resurrection have secured.

The focus of Dr Holland’s, books has always been the Church, not the academy. In his retirement, Tom continues his writing and occasional supervision of postgraduate students as the Senior Research Fellow of Union School of Theology. He is married to Barbara. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren.