Faithful, Reformational, Global

Robert Benne is a professor of theological ethics at the Christ School of Theology. He brings a distinguished record and impressive experience to our institution including, but not limited to, 18 years at Roanoke College as the Jordan-Trexler Professor and chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department, 17 years as a professor for the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and a wide array of written works. His primary focus has been on Christianity's intersection with culture. That research has resulted in multiple books such as Good and Bad Ways to Think About Religion and Politics, Paradoxical Vision, and Ordinary Saints.

Dr. Dennis Bielfeldt is the founding President of the Institute of Lutheran Theology and the first chancellor of its Christ School of Theology. Having served as Professor of Philosophical Theology since ILT's beginning, Dr. Bielfeldt now teaches primarily in the PhD program. His research interests include theology and science, theological semantics, analytical metaphysics, and Luther studies. Dr. Bielfeldt is General Editor of the academic journal Verba Vitae and is currently working on a manuscript applying model theory to theology.

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Professor of Philosophical Theology and Dean at the Christ School of Theology, Dr. Hackmann's field of special interest and expertise is theology and science with many years of applicable experience. He is an entrepreneur in the area of high-tech consultancy with business expertise in ethics and AI, business development, and go to market advisory. He also has taught philosophical theology in higher education for many years, including teaching the Christ School of Theology's science-focused theology courses such as PTE 681/781: Theology & Science. He continues his scholarly and entrepreneurial work in these fields even as it sends him traveling across the globe from Switzerland where he lives with his wife. As one example, he flew to Iowa City in October of 2024 to present four addresses at the University of Iowa in a conference on AI and Theology. Meanwhile, he is an active writer with contributions like his article 'AI and Personhood' published in Verba Vitae's Autumn/Winter 2024 issue (Vol. 1 No. 3-4).

Dr. Mark Hillmer has had a long and storied career. He first began teaching in higher academia in 1967, has served as a Lutheran pastor, and has even performed archaeological field work. He is extremely skilled in the Hebrew language. For example, Dr. Hilmer was involved in translating Ecclesiastes, Ruth, and Malachi for the 1978 NIV translation of the Bible. Dr. Hillmer is the Christ School of Theology's primary Hebrew teacher and also teaches multiple classes on the Old Testament for our institute.

A professor of historical and systematic theology, Dr. Kilcrease comes to the Christ School of Theology with a highly accomplished background. In addition to graduating from Marquette University with a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology,  he is a prolific author, accomplished scholar, and currently a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations. Many of his articles can be found on Academia.edu, including fascinating reads such as "Creation's Praise: A Short Liturgical Reading of Genesis and Revelation," (Pro Ecclesia) and "Gerhard O. Forde on the Law" (Concordia Theological Quarterly). He has written many books as well, including The Self-Donation of God: A Contemporary Lutheran approach to Christ and His Benefits, The Doctrine of Atonement: From Luther to Forde, and Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics vol. 2: Holy Scripture. His most recent project is a forthcoming book entitled Lutheran Dogmatics: The Evangelical-Catholic Faith for an Age of Contested Truth published by Lexham Press.

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Dr. Kwok comes to the Christ School of Theology with a wealth of experience from differing disciplines and perspectives. He has taught in Christian education since 1999. He has held various administrative roles from being a director of a globalization & cross-cultural immersion program to being the Institute of Lutheran Theology’s Director of Contextual Education.  His scholarly work includes written work and seminar presentations on a wide range of subjects. For example, he wrote “Christian Education as Evangelism in a Multicultural Setting” in Christian Education as Evangelism, edited by Norma Cook Everist (Fortress Press, 2007), and he gave a presentation entitled “Ghost Stories, Gothika and Hanpuri” at a colloquium held by the Religious Educators’ Association (REA) and the Association of Professors, Practitioners and Researchers in Religious Education (APPRRE). He has also served as a pastor for multiple different congregations in British Columbia.

Dr. Lioy is a Professor of Biblical Theology at the Christ School of Theology, where he oversees several academic programs, including the Master of Arts, Master of Sacred Theology, and Master of Chaplain Ministries. He also serves as the Biblical Theology editor for Verba Vitae, the scholarly Christian journal of ILT that explores life and its meaning. Holding a PhD from North-West University, Dr. Lioy brings over three decades of diverse professional experience to his academic and pastoral work. As an accomplished author, professor, business ethics consultant, and public speaker, he has published notable works such as The Divine Sabotage: An Expositional Journey through Ecclesiastes and With Uplifted Head: Preaching Hope. Ordained by the North American Lutheran Church, Dr. Lioy serves as a teaching pastor at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Salem, Oregon. A former board-certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains, he has provided spiritual care in various settings, including Randall Children's Hospital, the Oregon Air National Guard, and Oregon State Hospital.

Education:

• Ph.D. North-West University – Potchefstroom (2002)
• M.Th. Dallas Theological Seminary (1988)
• B.S. University of Southern California (1981)

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Rev. Patterson is the Dean of the Center for the Word at ILT where he oversees the Library, the North American Lutheran Archive, Information Services, the Office of the Registrar, Research and Academic Grants, and ILT Press. The primary areas of research for Rev. Patterson are Theology and Disability and Theology and Information.

As an associate professor of pastoral theology at the Christi School of Theology, Rev. Rynearson provides instruction on pastoral care and theology. He also has expertise in ethics and bioethics, having served in the past as a member of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities. He is an active speaker on end-of-life issues at South Dakota Lutherans For Life workshops, and his primary calling is serving a tri-point parish in Brookings, Flandreau and White, South Dakota.

Dr. Sorum holds MDiv. and Th.D. degrees from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN. After teaching systematic theology in an adjunct capacity at Luther Seminary, he taught full time at the Evangelical Theological Faculty in Bratislava, Slovakia from 2000 to 2006, and is now a professor of systematic and historical theology here at the Christ School of Theology. He also has served as the Institute of Lutheran Theology's Dean of Academic Affairs, as a part of editorial teams such as that of Promissio journal, and as head of the Doctor of Ministry program here at ILT's Christ School of Theology. Aside from his academic career, Dr. Sorum has served in pastoral ministry for over 20 years.