Get to know Isaiah
Isaiah Pressly Lafone was born in Statesville, North Carolina, a historically rural community situated near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Raised in a family deeply rooted in the Christian tradition, he was catechized in the faith from an early age through the faithful witness of his grandparents, whose reverence for Scripture and confessional orthodoxy left an enduring mark on his spiritual and intellectual formation.
One Year Reflection
Watch my first reflection video.
Education
Currently a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Isaiah is undertaking rigorous theological education with particular focus on historical theology, ecclesiology, and Christian apologetics. His academic work reflects a sustained engagement with the Protestant tradition, especially the theological and ecclesial legacy of the magisterial Reformation. He is particularly interested in the doctrinal developments of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the transmission of patristic thought within Protestantism, and the ongoing task of defending the faith in light of modern and postmodern critiques.
Studies/Interests
Isaiah’s research interests are concentrated in three principal areas: the Reformation, patristics, and the reliability of the Bible. He is especially drawn to the writings of the Reformers and their reception of early church theology, with an eye toward recovering a catholic Protestantism that is both historically rooted and biblically faithful. In the field of patristics, he is concerned with the theological trajectories of early Christian thought and its relevance for contemporary doctrinal retrieval. His apologetic work centers on the historical and textual reliability of the Scriptures, aiming to demonstrate the coherence and trustworthiness of the biblical canon in the face of critical challenges.
Apologetics
As a young Protestant apologist and church historian in training, Isaiah seeks to retrieve the riches of the Christian tradition for the life and witness of the contemporary church. His research is animated by a conviction that fidelity to historic orthodoxy is essential not only for theological integrity but also for the Church's public credibility in an age increasingly marked by epistemic instability and moral confusion.
Goals
He aims to contribute to the renewal of Christian scholarship and ecclesial life by bridging the academy and the church; rooting apologetic engagement in historical depth, doctrinal precision, and a thoroughly biblical vision of goodness, truth, and beauty.