Craig L. Nessan, Th. D.
Academic Dean & Professor of Contextual Theology

Dr. Nessan has extensive knowledge in the following categories and is able to serve as a resource on:

• Congregation Leadership
• Theological Ethics
  (including: Homosexuality and the Church; and World Hunger)
• Systematic Theology
• World Religions

Dr. Craig L. Nessan is Academic Dean and Professor of Contextual Theology at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.  He teaches courses in the areas of contextual theology, pastoral theology, and theological ethics.  He has oversight of the seminary’s internship program. 

Dr. Nessan has served eleven years as a parish pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  He holds degrees from Michigan State University, Wartburg Theological Seminary, and the University of Munich.  His theological interests include ecclesiology, theological ethics, liberation theology, and family systems theory. 

In addition to other articles, reviews, and books, Dr. Nessan is the author of Shalom Church: The Body of Christ as Ministering Community (2010), Beyond Maintenance to Mission: A Theology of the Congregation (2010, Revised Edition), Liberating Lutheran Theology: Freedom for Justice and Solidarity in a Global Context (2011-with Paul Chung and Ulrich Duchrow), Doing Theology in a Global Context (2009-Editor with Thomas Kothmann), Transforming Leadership: New Vision for a Church in Mission (2008-with Norma Cook Everist), Many Members, Yet One Body: Committed Same-Gender Relationships and the Mission of the Church (2004), Give Us This Day: A Lutheran Proposal for Ending World Hunger (2003), The Air I Breathe is Wartburg Air: The Legacy of William H. Weiblen (2003), and Who Is Christ for Us? (2002-edited with Renate Wind). He is contributing author for the book, The Evangelizing Church: A Lutheran Contribution (2005-edited by Craig Van Gelder and Richard Bliese) and editor of the revised version of William Weiblen's history of the seminary, Life Together at Wartburg Theological Seminary (2005).

Dr. Nessan has also drafted a resolution on "Ending Hunger as a Core Conviction," which is available for download and use (click on the appropriate format link) in the following formats:  in Adobe PDF or in MSWord .

Click here    for a summarized article from "The Theology of Wartburg Theological Seminary," by Craig L. Nessan.