From Genesis to Revelation in 10 days? Craig Koester, professor of New Testament, delights in taking students on a fast-paced trip through the whole Bible using music, drama, and hundreds of visuals to bring the text to life. Dr. Koester says, "The course transforms the words on the page into sight and sound, so that students experience the Biblical story as a whole." During the ten days of the course, participants go from the dawn of creation through the stories of ancient Israel, Jesus and the early church, to the gates of the New Jerusalem. "Through my teaching I want to help people enter the world of the Scriptures, so that the old story takes on new life for them."
Dr. Koester became a member of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas in 1995, and has recently been an associate editor of the journal New Testament Studies. Active in the Society of Biblical Literature, Dr. Koester is a member of the steering committee of the seminar on Hebrews. As a member of the Catholic Biblical Association, he currently serves as an associate editor of the journal The Catholic Biblical Quarterly.
A prolific scholar, Dr. Koester has published books on the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation, and many scholarly articles. "I feel called to make sure that my research and writing are at the highest level of academic accountability," he says. "Teaching and scholarship go together. Dr. Koester has been working with media as an expression of scholarship and has developed a video series on the book of Revelation called "Is This the Time?" (2003) He also developed The Bible Tutor, an interactive introduction to the Bible. His most recent books are The Word of Life: A Theology of John's Gospel (2008) and The Resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of John (co-edited with Reimund Bieringer, 2008). His other books include: Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel (2003, 2nd Edition); Revelation and the End of All Things (2001); a major commentary on Hebrews in the Anchor Bible Commentary series (2001), and A Beginner's Guide to Reading the Bible (1991).
Raised on a farm near Northfield, Minnesota, he attended St. Olaf College, Northfield, and Luther Seminary. He served as pastor in Princeton, Minnesota, before moving to New York to earn his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary. He did advanced research at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, N.J., in 1992-93 and 2007.
Like many of Luther's faculty members, Dr. Koester counts music—especially the American folk tradition—among his avocations. He and his wife Nancy enjoy singing their favorites from the American folk and gospel tradition—with shape-note singing as a particular specialty.
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