• • Professor of Historical Theology
• • President Emeritus
•  

Biography

The Rev. Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. serves as professor of American Christianity and American Lutheranism at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. From 2011-2024 he served as the sixteenth president of CTSFW. Dr. Rast joined the Department of Historical Theology in the fall of 1996. Previous to his seminary service, he was the pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church, Madison, Tennessee (1992-1996).

He received his B.A. in Theological Languages with a minor in Theology from Concordia College (now University), River Forest, Illinois (1986), and his MDiv (1990) and STM (1995), both with a major in Historical Theology and a minor in Systematic Theology, from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. In 2000 he received the MA degree and in 2003 he successfully defended his dissertation, “Joseph A. Seiss and the Lutheran Church in America,” earning his PhD in American Church History from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Rast also serves as president and member of the Board of Directors for the journal Lutheran Quarterly. He has authored numerous articles on a wide range of topics with special interest in the growth and expansion of Lutheranism in the United States in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Dr. Rast is currently writing a comprehensive history of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod for Concordia Publishing House and continues work on an oral history project chronicling the rich and varied stories of African-American pastors in both the LCMS and the old Synodical Conference. Other writing projects include a history of the “Walkout” in 1974 (Concordia Historical Institute) and a broader history of all Lutherans in the United States since 1965.

In addition to serving at the Seminary, Dr. Rast regularly presents at district and congregational workshops, retreats, and conferences around the United States.  He has represented the Seminary and Synod at numerous international conferences and by teaching in Argentina, Brazil, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Ghana, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and elsewhere throughout the world. He was elected to the presidency of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 2020, but after prayer deliberation chose to remain at his beloved CTSFW. He served on the LCMS’s Commission on Theology and Church Relations from 2006 to 2024, and was its chairman from 2010 to 2024.

Other areas of service include:

• Editorial Committee, Concordia Historical Quarterly(2000-2010)
• President, Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis, Missouri (2001-2007)
• Board of Governors, Concordia Historical Institute, St. Louis Missouri (1995-2009; 2015-present)
• LCMS Commission on Doctrinal Review (1998-2001)
• LCMS Concordia University System Board of Directors (2023-present)

In 2012, the Concordia Historical Institute (CHI) recognized him with the Distinguished Service Award for his dedication to Lutheran history, especially that of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and to CHI. Concordia University Chicago has honored Dr. Rast with both the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award (2021) and the Doctor of Letters degree, honoris causa (2017).

When not teaching or traveling, Dr. Rast still enjoys the delving into history, especially from the Civil War era. He is a music enthusiast and his iPod playlist includes genres from Classical to Classic Rock—the more obscure the better. But perhaps his favorite pastime is all things pertaining to railroads. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of locomotives, train stations, and routes.  He is a long-time member of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society and models the Pennsy in HO scale in the year 1948.

The greatest joy of his life, however, comes from the time he spends with his family. He and his wife, Amy, have three children and two grandchildren.

Works of Note