"It's a little bit like the town of Gettysburg honoring a German for research and writing about the Civil War in America."

That's how Professor Timothy Wengert of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) feels about an honor to be conferred upon him February 20, 2000 in Bretten, Germany.

On that date Wengert, who teaches the Lutheran Confessions and Reformation History at LTSP, will be the first American ever to receive the Melanchthon Prize. The honor, conferred every three years, will recognize Wengert for his research and writing of a book, "Human Freedom, Christian Righteousness," about Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560) the German humanist, teacher and Lutheran reformer often referred to as the "right hand man" of Martin Luther. The volume focuses on Melanchthon's exegetical dispute with Erasmus of Rotterdam (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998). The prize includes an $8,000 cash award, which Wengert intends to use to defray the costs of a current project, writing a biography about Melanchthon. In December he concluded his copyediting of the soon-to-be released new edition of the Book of Concord (Augsburg Fortress).

"The Melanchthon Prize is a culmination of my professional career and a complete surprise," says Wengert, who will journey to Bretten, Melanchthon's hometown, on February 18 to receive the honor at a session attended by scholars from many parts of the world.

Wengert describes Melanchthon as the author of "the single most important confession of faith" in published history, the Augsburg Confession. "Through his systematic work on theology, he made faith understandable to scholars and others during the explosion of the Reformation period."

Wengert further characterizes Melanchthon as having been a true renaissance man, deeply engaged in studies of language, law, medicine, history, theology and interpretation of the Bible, a kind of Albert Schweitzer of his day. "Philipp Melanchthon helped scientists and others comprehend how they could be involved in their various disciplines and still be true to their religious faith," Wengert says. "Through his theories and proposals, he did much to unite churches of his day and he wrote the first theological textbook of the Protestant Reformation in 1521." Melanchthon was then in his early twenties! His skills were akin to the contemporary dialogues that led this past October to the signing of a Joint Declaration between Lutherans and Roman Catholics in Augsburg, Germany. He also wrote many commentaries analyzing the content and style of Paul's letters, taking advantage of his skills in the disciplines of logic and rhetoric.

Timothy Wengert joined the LTSP faculty in 1989 and became a full professor in 1997. He earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1972 and an M.A. from the same school in 1973. He was awarded his M.Div. from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN in 1977 and received his Ph.D. from Duke University in 1984. He served a pastorate in Wisconsin prior to embarking on his teaching career in Philadelphia.

Professor Wengert and his spouse, Barbara Ann, live in Oreland, PA, a Philadelphia suburb. They have two children, Emily and David.

Professor Wengert may be interviewed by calling him at home prior to his departure for Germany on February 18. Dial 215/885-1270.