Education

• Ph.D. (University of Chicago)
• Ordained (ELCA)
• M.Div. (Christ Seminary-Seminex)

Biography

Patrick Keifert was named an instructor in systematic theology at Luther Seminary in 1980 and was made associate professor in 1986. He has also been an adjunct professor at the School of Law, Hamline University, St. Paul, since 1984.

His teaching experience began at Christ Seminary — Seminex where he was a teaching assistant in 1976-77 and instructor in systematic theology in the summer of 1980.

Ordained in 1978, Keifert served Pilgrim Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago (interim, 1977-78; assistant pastor, 1978-80); and was interim pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran church, Renton, Wash. (summer, 1982) and Trinity and Hope Lutheran Churches, Cody and Powell, Wyo. (summer, 1983). He also served Galilee Lutheran Church, Roseville, Minn., in 1985.

Keifert is currently President and Director of Research of Church Innovations Institute, a church related non-profit seeking to “innovate your church’s capacities to be missional.” He has been general editor, Journal of Law and Religion, and served on the editorial boards of Word & World and dialog.

He earned a B.A. degree in 1973 from Valparaiso (Ind.) University, where he was a Christ College Scholar, and an M.Div. degree from Christ Seminary-Seminex in 1977. He received the Ph.D. degree from the Divinity School, University of Chicago in 1982, and has done additional study at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Tubingen in Germany.

He has been guest and adjunct faculty at several schools of theology, including Tuebingen, Germany, Stellenbosch, South Africa, and Vancouver School of Theology, Canada. He has been the recipient of the Fulbright-Hays Travel Grant, the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Language Grant, and the Franklin Clark Frye Post-doctoral Fellowship. His books include: Welcoming the Stranger: A Public Theology of Worship and Evangelism (1992), Worship and Evangelism: A Pastoral Handbook (1990),  People Together, a small group manual set (1994), Talking About our Faith (1999),  But Is It All True (2006),  We Are Here Now (2006), and Testing the Spirits (2007).