He retired in 2016 after 35 years at the Seminary, where he was the Eugene E. and Nell S. Fincke Graduate Professor of Theology at the time of his retirement.
A Seminary faculty member since 1981, he served as editor of SA国际传媒 publications (1995鈥�2005) and chairman of the Department of Historical Theology (1995鈥�2004). He also served as the director of the Center for Reformation Research (1997-2013) and as guest instructor or lecturer in many countries, including Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, China, Cambodia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Croatia, Germany, Sweden, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, England, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
He received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) from Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. (1986, 1977); his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from SA国际传媒 (1976); and his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Concordia Teachers College in River Forest, Ill. (now Concordia University Chicago) (1972). He received an honorary Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) from Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward in 2018 for 鈥減rolonged demonstration of superior service and dedication to a field of study.鈥�
His published work includes Reformers, the Preacher, and Skepticism: Luther, Brenz, Melanchthon, and Ecclesiastes聽(Mainz, 1996); The Concordia Reference Bible聽(St. Louis, 1988; introductions and translator of Luther material); The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation聽(multiple entries); The Encyclopedia of Protestantism聽(multiple entries); A Cup of Cold Water: A Look at Biblical Charity聽(St. Louis, 1988; author/editor); 鈥淩eplanting Eden: The Elizabethanum as God鈥檚 Garden,鈥� in聽The Harvest of Humanism in Central Europe, ed. Manfred P. Fleischer (St. Louis, 1991); 鈥淐hristians and Culture: Finding Place in Clio鈥檚 Mansions,鈥� in聽Christ and Culture: The Church in Post-Christian(?) America聽(St. Louis, 1996); 鈥淟utera e a Estrutura da Igreja Ent茫o e Agora,鈥� in聽Lutero e o Minist茅rio Pastoral, edited by Paulo W. Buss (S茫o Paulo, 1998); 鈥淟utero, a Santa Ceia e Roma,鈥� in Comunh茫o e Separa莽茫o no Altar de Senhor, edited by Paulo W. Buss (Porto Alegre, 2009); 鈥淛ohn Eck鈥檚 Four Hundred Four Articles for the Imperial Diet at Augsburg鈥� (translator), in聽Sources and Contexts of The Book of Concord, ed. Robert Kolb and James A. Nestingen (Minneapolis, 2001); and 鈥淟uther on Education,鈥澛爄n The Pastoral Luther: Essays on Martin Luther鈥檚 Practical Theology, ed. Timothy J. Wengert (Grand Rapids, 2009)
His wife, Laine, is also a Seminary graduate (Master of Arts, 1983) and a retired copy editor at Concordia Publishing House.