Timothy F. Lull (April 8, 1943 in

Fremont, Ohio Fremont is a city in Sandusky County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Sandusky River about southeast of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo and west of Sandusky, Ohio, Sandusky. The population was 15,930 at the 2020 United St ...

– May 20, 2003) was a

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

minister, scholar and author.

Early life

Lull was born to Raymond and Ruth Cole Lull. He attended Atkinson Elementary School, Fremont Junior High School, and Fremont Ross High School. From a young age he participated in the life of St. John's Lutheran Church and was a member of the church's

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

Troop receiving his God and Country Award. Tim was interested in astronomy, philosophy, politics, and religion. He enjoyed playing the piano and baritone, was a leader in school activities, and an accomplished student. In eleventh grade he won the Ohio State History contest at

Ohio University Ohio University (Ohio or OU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Athens, Ohio, United States. The university was first conceived in the 1787 contract between the United States Department of the Treasury#Re ...

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. Graduating first in his high school class in 1961, Tim entered

Williams College Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim ...

where he was the recipient of the Tyng Scholarship. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Williams in 1965 where he was elected to

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

and the Gargoyle Society. Timothy attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where he received a Master's of Divinity and a Doctorate of Philosophy.

Ministerial life

Lull was ordained as a minister in the Lutheran Church in America in 1972. He served as pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in

Needham, Massachusetts Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census. It is the home of Olin College. History ...

from the time of his ordination until 1977. From 1977 until 1989 Lull served as professor of systematic theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. In 1989 Lull became Academic Dean and Professor of

Systematic Theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topics ...

at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

. Dr. Lull was elected president of the seminary in 1997 and held that position until his death from complications of surgery on May 20, 2003.articles.sfgate.com/2003-05-29/bay-area/17490523_1_pacific-lutheran-theological-seminary-final-service-berkeley. Accessed April 10, 2011. Timothy Lull was a prolific writer and widely sought speaker. His particular area of interest was the life and work of

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

. He was the author of several books including ''Called to Confess Christ'' and ''My Conversations with Martin Luther''. He edited ''Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings'' for

Augsburg Fortress Augsburg Fortress Publishers is the official publishing house of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Through various imprints, Augsburg Fortress Publishers publishes worship, music, curricu ...

. He was a frequent contributor and columnist for '' The Lutheran'' magazine. A strong advocate, interpreter, and participant in the ecumenical dialogs and agreements of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

, Dr. Lull served as co-chair of the Lutheran-Reformed Committee for Theological Conversations, 1988–1992, which in ''A Common Calling'' formally proposed

full communion Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations or Christian individuals that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constit ...

between the ELCA and the

Presbyterian Church USA The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States too. Its theological roots lie primarily in the Scottish Reformat ...

, the

Reformed Church in America The Reformed Church in America (RCA) is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 82,865 members. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed ...

, the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...

. He received the Joseph A. Sittler Award for Theological Leadership posthumously from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

. Dr. Lull married Mary Carlton O'Neal in 1969 and was the father of two sons, Christopher Lull and Peter Lull.

References

Sources

*''The News-Messenger'', May 31, 2003 *''

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'', May 23, 2003 *'' The Lutheran'', June 2003 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lull, Timothy F. 1943 births 2003 deaths People from Fremont, Ohio 20th-century American Lutheran clergy Lutheran writers Yale Divinity School alumni