Dr. Jon Pahl
Biography
- Title/Position:Professor, History of Christianity in North America; Director, MA ProgramsPhone:Cell: 610-909-7107Email:jpahl@ltsp.eduType:Faculty
Education: B.A., Valparaiso University (History, Religion, Christ College), 1980; M.T.S., Trinity Lutheran Seminary (History, Theology, Society), 1983; Ph.D., The University of Chicago Divinity School (The History of Christianity, 1990)
Jon Pahl, Ph.D. is Professor of the History of Christianity in North America and Director of MA Programs at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He has also served as Visiting Professor of Religion at Temple University, in Philadelphia, and as Visiting Professor of Religion at Princeton University.
Dr. Pahl has published dozens of articles, essays, columns, and reviews, in publications such as Religion in American History; Church History; Currents in Theology and Ministry; and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He is author or editor of six books: Paradox Lost: Free Will and Political Liberty in American Culture, 1630-1760 (Johns Hopkins); Hopes and Dreams of All: The International Walther League, and Lutheran Youth in American Culture, 1893-1993 (Wipf and Stock); Youth Ministry in Modern America, 1930-the present (Hendrickson); Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Spaces: Putting God in Place (Wipf and Stock); An American Teacher: Coming of Age, and Coming Out--The Memoirs of Loretta Coller (ed) (Infinity); and Empire of Sacrifice: The Religious Origins of American Violence (NYU). Dr. Pahl also appeared in the feature documentary film, Malls R Us.
Jon teaches classes at LTSP in American Religious History, Lutherans in America, Religion and Violence, Religion and Film, and many others, along with his guest teaching at Temple or Princeton.
As Director of MA Programs, Dr. Pahl oversees the academic work of students interested in a Master of Arts degree. He has been instrumental in developing a new specialization in "public leadership," bridging theological education with secular professions.
In addition to his work as a writer, teacher, and administrator, Dr. Pahl is a theologian of the church. He served St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Medaryville as a Deacon, and served at First Christian Church in Valparaiso as a Youth Minister. In the Philadelphia area, he regularly teaches in area congregations, including most recently at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, where he has offered series or multimedia lectures on topics such as "Sex and Salvation;" "Jesus at the Movies," "Are the Fundamentalists Winning?," "Shopping Malls and Other Pseudo-Sacred Places," and others. Jon has spoken with audiences from Ankara, Turkey to Anaheim, California, and has lectured at Oxford University, Princeton University, Pacific Lutheran University, Muhlenberg College, and many others.
In social ministry, Dr. Pahl founded the Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity at Valparaiso, which built three homes in four years with families in need. He is on the Board of Directors at Lutheran Settlement House in Philadelphia. Jon is also avidly engaged in interreligious dialogue, especially in Christian-Muslim and Christian-Vaishnava dialogues.
Dr. Pahl is an avid sports fan and amateur musician who sits in on the saxophone with gospel choirs and blues bands, and helped form a Seminary band, "The Groove Daemons." Jon lives near Swarthmore, PA with his wife of 27 years, Lisa, and their three children.
Attachment Size Curriculum vitae 95.01 KB Reproduction-quality photo 834.61 KB My Blog
