The Rev. Dr. Martin J. Heinecken, 95, a standout professor of theology whose lectures and writings at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia were often punctuated with memorable humor, died February 24 at his home in Middlebury, VT. He had lived in Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy section during most of his teaching career.

Heinecken, a Kierkegaard scholar, was one of the leading theologians of the Lutheran Church in America (a predecessor body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) during the 1950s, 60s and 70s. He taught systematic theology at the Seminary from 1945 to 1972. His advice and counsel were eagerly sought after by leaders of the church’s various jurisdictions. He served on dozens of boards and commissions of the church. Noteworthy examples of that sort of service were his chairing a 1970 study of ministry by the denomination that paved the way for the ordination of women, and his serving as a key figure in the Lutheran-Reformed Dialogue.

Heinecken was known as a remarkably capable and conscientious teacher who lectured with a high-pitched voice, and he was admired and respected by generations of students.

"Martin Heinecken was a teacher of systematic theology who served as a bridge between the Lutheran theologians of the 19^th century (H.E. Jacobs, John Michael Reu) and the late 20^th century (Carl Braaten and Robert Jenson)," said the Rev. Dr. John H.P. Reumann, who taught New Testament and Greek at LTSP for many years. "While he never wrote down his knowledge of systematic theology in great detail, he was a truly significant teacher."

"Martin Heinecken had a rich and earthy sense of piety," recalls the Rev. George Keck, a Heinecken student in the early 1960s and now director of admission at the Seminary. "He was a deeply sensitive man for whom faith was absolutely transparent and not just an academic exercise. He wore his faith at the end of his cuff. If something happened on campus that upset him he would feel it so deeply that he would cry over it." Keck recalls the efforts Heinecken made to secure Keck’s admission to graduate school at Harvard. Dr. John Kaufmann, for many years the Seminary’s registrar, recalls the first class Heinecken taught in 1945, when he arrived as a young professor, fresh from teaching exploits at Wagner College. "He started the class leading us in prayer, and that really impressed us," Kaufmann recalls.

Humor was a major ingredient in the Heinecken personality and teaching style.

Dr. LeRoy Aden, a faculty colleague who taught pastoral counseling at the Seminary for years, took note of Heinecken's skill as a sometimes salty storyteller. "I could never decide whether his approach was a freedom he took on for himself or whether it was a freedom granted by the Gospel. I suspect it was a little of both.

"Talk about God was the bread and butter of Martin’s life," Aden said. "Faith to him was the stuff you live out in your daily activity. Martin came to life in a great number of activities, but never so much as when he was engaged in theological dialogue."

While he used humor amply in his classroom style, he could become angry too, Reumann said. "He would storm out of a class on an occasion when he felt the students weren't doing their work properly."

Heinecken class memories at the Seminary include occasions when students would leave a bottle of beer bearing his name on the label at the classroom lectern. Upon arrival, Heinecken would take note of the bottle but never mention it during his lecture. He would regularly take swigs from it, however, so that the bottle was empty by lecture’s end.

He often wrote for The Lutheran, the denominational magazine of the church. On one occasion he described the challenges of aging, mixing humor with a depth of perspective. "You know you’re losing your hearing when the only way you know you left your radio on overnight is because it feels warm in the morning," he quipped.

Heinecken remained vigorous and active through much of his retirement. Returning to the campus for a 90^th birthday celebration, he spent time with a student, the Rev. Sharon Hughes, now a pastor in Portland, Maine. The occasion was a storm that left the campus snowbound. After a few riveting discussions, she asked Heinecken, "Do you think I could be considered a student of yours?"

"I don’t know," he replied, "Did you learn anything from me?" "I believe so," she remembers saying. "Well, then I think you could qualify as one of my students," he said.

Heinecken and his late wife, Vera, were vigorous tennis competitors and could be found on the Seminary court doing battle on many occasions, "But they would show genuine tenderness for each other the moment they walked off the court," Aden recalls. Heinecken also enjoyed pottery during his retirement years in Vermont.

Heinecken was the author of many books, including The Moment Before God, God and the Space Age, The Beginning and End of the World, and The Meaning of the Cross. His small work, Basic Christian Teachings, was a primer for laity.

Heinecken is survived by two sons, M. Theodore of Chicago, and Michael G. of Middlebury, VT. Services are set for 3 p.m. Saturday at Ascension Lutheran Church, 95 Allen Road in South Burlington, VT.