Richard T. Hughes received a bachelor's degree in Bible and history from Harding University in Arkansas, followed by a master's degree from Abilene Christian University in Texas, and a doctorate in the history of Christianity since 1500 from the University of Iowa. In 1971, he became professor of religion at Pepperdine University in California, where he founded and directed the Pepperdine Center for Faith and Learning. In 1976, he taught at Southwest Missouri State University, and in 1982 he taught at Abilene Christian University. In 2006, he became distinguished professor and senior Boyer fellow at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. He has has published several works about the significance of Christian higher education for contemporary society.