Honoring an Inspiration

BY LANCE SCHWARTZ • DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Teigen receives honorary doctorate degree

Bethany Professor Emeritus Erling Teigen was awarded the Doctor of Divinity Honoris Causa degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, on May 21, 2021. Information from Concordia Seminary noted that Professor Teigen was chosen for his years of faithful service in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) and to the wider Church.

Teigen is the son and grandson of ELS pastors. He earned an associate in arts from Bethany, a bachelor of arts and master of arts degrees from the University of Minnesota, and a master of divinity from Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. From 1966 to 1977 he served ELS congregations in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Apple Valley, Minnesota, before accepting a call to teach at Bethany Lutheran College.

President of the ELS Rev. Glenn Obenberger shared these words for the occasion. "We in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod are pleased to have one of our favorite sons receive this well-deserved honor from Concordia Theological Seminary. By having the degree of Doctor of Divinity Honoris Causa conferred upon him, Erling is being publicly recognized for what so many of his students and colleagues have long appreciated. His contributions to our theological discussions in the ELS have not only guided us through some difficult conflicts with stalwart confessional integrity, but his willingness to serve our Lord as a humble theologian of the cross professionally as well as in his personal life has been an inspiration to all in our synod and beyond."

Teigen taught at Bethany College and Seminary from 1977 to his retirement in 2015 in the areas of philosophy, religion, and theology. His sense of humor and wit were appreciated by his students. Professor Teigen also was affectionately known to many of his students by the moniker "E.T." which he was dubbed after the popular movie in the 1980s with a similar name. In addition to teaching, he has served in many roles at Bethany, including: College Chaplain, Chairman of the Religious Studies Department, Executive Secretary for the annual Reformation Lectures, Director of the Paul Ylivsaker Center for Personal and Public Responsibility, President of the Faculty, and Director of the Liberal Arts Major. In retirement, he is also the Archivist for the College.

Erling Teigen during his awarding ceremony at Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Teigen is a past editor of the ELS monthly magazine the Lutheran Sentinel, and past coordinating editor of Logia: A Journal of Theology and is currently editor of Oak Leaves, a quarterly publication of the ELS Historical Society. He is the author of several books, numerous journal articles and essays, and translations from Norwegian and Swedish. Having served on numerous synodical committees in the ELS and been involved in their mission work in Latvia and the Ukraine, he is presently secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod Doctrine Committee. He has lectured extensively in the ELS, but also at both seminaries of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. He has several articles that have been published in Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Concordia Theological Quarterly, Confessional Lutheran Research Society Newsletter, and Logia, as well as contributions to various festschriften. In 2000, the Association of Confessional Lutherans honored him as the "Dr. Robert D. Preus Confessional Lutheran of the Year."

Friends and former students of Dr. Teigen recently published and presented to him a festschrift on the occasion of his 80th birthday. In academia, a festschrift is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during their lifetime. It generally takes the form of an edited volume, containing contributions from the honoree's colleagues, former students, and friends. The book is available in the Bethany Bookstore.

Dr. Teigen was married to Linda (née Sheriff), who was called to her heavenly home in 2019 following a long illness.

Friends and former students of Teigen recently published and presented to him a festschrift, a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

"...his willingness to serve our Lord as a humble theologian of the cross professionally as well as in his personal life has been an inspiration to all in our synod and beyond."

- REV. GLENN OBENBERGER, PRESIDENT OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD