Timothy Lull, Lutheran Theologian, Seminary President, Dies

Chicago (ELCA)-FI — The Rev. Timothy F. Lull, president and professor of systematic theology, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS), Berkeley, Calif., died May 20 of complications following surgery. He was 60. PLTS is one of eight seminaries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

"The church has lost a great theologian, a great leader and a great friend," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, in a letter to the PLTS community as it met May 21 for a noon memorial service at the seminary's Chapel of the Cross.

"I have repeatedly called upon Tim for his theological insights, his contextual perspective, his curiosity and his deep friendship," Hanson wrote. "While his earthly journey has ended much too soon, his legacy of leadership will continue to guide the church for years to come, as will the impact his witness and teaching has had on the lives of those whom he has touched," he wrote.

Born in Fremont, Ohio, Lull was a graduate of Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. He earned a bachelor of divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn., and master of philosophy degree and doctorate from Yale Graduate School, New Haven. He was ordained in 1972 and served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Needham, Mass., while an instructor at the Yale Divinity School.

Lull joined the faculty of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1977. In 1989 he became academic dean of PLTS, and became the seminary's sixth president Jan. 1, 1997. Since 1989 he served also as a core doctoral faculty member of the Graduate Theological Union -- a consortium of nine seminaries, dozens of centers and institutes, and the University of California at Berkeley.

Lull became one of the consortium's leaders, said the Rev. Mark R. Ramseth, president, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, who chaired the PLTS board when it named Lull as president. "He was always pushing the envelope to effect change and relevancy in those institutions," said Ramseth.

Ramseth called Lull's death "a huge loss for this church."

"I was always struck by his agile, winsome mind. He had ways of articulating the depths of theological thought and reflection, but he did it in a way that was relevant and pertinent to the church and challenged the church to stretch and move forward," said Ramseth.

"I always had a hard time keeping up with him. This guy was a person of profound energy. He was juggling most every issue that the ELCA faces and did it with credibility and integrity," he said.

"Students found him accessible and found that their call from the church was confirmed not only by his witness to the gospel but by his encouragement," said Ramseth.

Lull was Lutheran co-chair of the Lutheran-Reformed Committee for Theological Conversations, which developed the full-communion agreement the ELCA entered into with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and United Church of Christ in 1997. He and his wife, Mary-Carlton Lull, joined an ELCA delegation in Rome for meetings March 21-26 with Vatican officials of the Roman Catholic Church, including a March 24 audience with Pope John Paul II.

Lull authored "Called to Confess Christ" and "My Conversations with Martin Luther," and he edited "A Common Calling" and "Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings." Since November he has written the monthly "Our Faith" column for The Lutheran, the magazine of the ELCA.

The Rev. David L. Miller, editor, calculated that Lull has written more than 40 articles for The Lutheran over the past 15 years. Miller said Lull was such a fine and energetic writer on "key teachings and aspects of Lutheran faith and history" that the temptation was to use him too much.

Lull wrote "lively lucid prose that always engaged readers and took them into a deeper awareness of their faith," said Miller. While drawing on church history, tradition and confessions, Lull's writing was "never stodgy" and "always bristled with life," he said.

Lull and his wife were the parents of two adult sons. Lull is also survived by his grandson and by his sister -- the Rev. Patricia J. Lull, dean of students, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.