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Ph.D. - (The History of Christianity) - The University of Chicago Divinity School
M.T.S. - (History, Theology, Society) - Trinity Lutheran Seminary
B.A. - (History, Religion, Christ College) - Valparaiso University
Jon Pahl is a historian, author, teacher, preacher, researcher, business-planner, community activist snf musician. He has taught at Valparaiso, Temple, and Princeton Universities, and since 2000 at the Lutheran Seminary.
As an author, Dr. Pahl's most recent book is the first critical biography in English of the controversial Turkish Muslim preacher Fethullah Gülen, entitled It has been translated into over a dozen languages. He has also published six other books, including , , and
Dr. Pahl has been intimately involved in several successful start-ups, including the , the ULS Master of Arts in Public Leadership program, and most recently . The latter, a nonprofit dedicated to brain health and to assisting people dealing with neurodegenerative diseases, is one of the fruits of his three-year tenure (ended June 1, 2021) as Minister of Faith Formation and Community Engagement at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Green Bay.
Dr. Pahl’s current research continues to focus on religions, violence, and peace-growing, along with research on trees in the history of Christianity. That latter project studies the arboreal theology of early Christians, and the consequences of the modern failure to recognize the spiritual qualities of living trees.
Dr. Pahl is a widely-sought public speaker and preacher. He has spoken with audiences from Accra, Ghana to Anaheim, California, including at Cambridge, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, Yale, and many other colleges, universities, churches, bookstores, mosques, libraries and other public settings all over the globe. He enjoys preaching and teaching at local congregations.
As an avid amateur saxophonist, Jon has written several dozen liturgies for congregations incorporating jazz standards. He and his brothers, Andy and David, have an eclectic cover band, Brösbee, which plays for good causes.
Jon Pahl lives on Pigeon Lake in Clintonville, Wisconsin, where he is Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the . Jon has been married to Lisa for 43 years; they have three grown children—Justin, Nathan, and Rheanne. Jon and Lisa also care for a dog (Otis) and a cat (Layla), along with African cichlid fish and a three-acre woods dotted with birch, maples, and 38 oak trees that Jon has dubbed his “Forest of the Ancestors.” Jon and Lisa enjoy spending time with their extended family, gardening, and enjoying all Wisconsin sports.
Dr. Pahl has published dozens of articles, essays, columns, and reviews; has appeared on media outlets from the BBC to ABC, and he is author or editor of seven books. All his books are available from and other booksellers.
Mailing address:
7301 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19119
