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Biography: Abdel Ross Wentz

Abdel Ross Wentz was the distinguished Professor of Church History at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, from 1916 until 1956. For eleven years (1940-1951) he was also President of that school. In 1923 there first appeared his widely-used textbook, The Lutheran Church in American History which for five decades (through four editions and a reworking entitled A Basic History of Lutheranism in America) was standard in the field.

A graduate of Gettysburg College and Seminary, Dr. Wentz pursued graduate studies at several German universities and received his Ph.D. from George Washington University. Lecturer, author of numerous books and articles, President of the American Society of Church History (1931-32), officer of the American Association of Theological Schools, Wentz was influential within his profession and was recognized dean of the historians of American Lutheranism for several decades. His biography of Samuel Simon Schmucker, Pioneer in Christian Unity (1967), received acclaim for its interpretive skill.

Abdel Ross Wentz was also a leading churchman of his day. Among many assignments he was for a decade President of the Board of Foreign Missions of the United Lutheran Church in America, was Vice President of Lutheran World Federation, member of the committee Fourteen to form the World Council of Churches, and a member of the New Testament team for the translation of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. This prize furthers his life-long purpose of encouraging research and scholarly production in the field of American Lutheran history.

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