United Lutheran Seminary (ULS) announced today the establishment of the Bengt Runo Hoffman Chair of Lutheran Spirituality and Ethics, a fully endowed faculty position created to sustain the school’s commitment to theological formation as it celebrates its bicentennial.
Backed by a $2.3 million private founding gift, the chair represents a significant long-term investment in the seminary’s mission to prepare leaders to engage complex global and ecclesial challenges. The seminary has set a goal to grow the endowment to $3.5 million to further expand academic resources and community engagement initiatives.
The announcement comes as higher education, particularly in the theological sector, faces heightened financial and institutional pressures. ULS leadership characterized the endowment as a strategic decision to prioritize the long-term formation of pastors and lay leaders.
“At a time when theological education faces enormous financial pressure across the country, the establishment of the Hoffman Chair is a powerful counterstatement,” said the Rev. Dr. R. Guy Erwin, president of United Lutheran Seminary. “It is both an investment in the future of theological education at ULS and an affirmation of what we believe faithful leadership requires.”
The chair is named for the late Rev. Dr. Bengt Runo Hoffman (1913–1997), a distinguished theologian, educator and ecumenical leader. Hoffman’s career spanned global service with the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches before he joined the faculty of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in 1966. He served as a professor of ethics and ecumenics until his retirement in 1981.
Hoffman was widely recognized for his scholarship on the experiential and contemplative aspects of Lutheran theology, notably in his works Luther and the Mystics and Theology of the Heart.
The new faculty position will integrate teaching, research, writing and mentorship, ensuring that Lutheran spirituality and ethics remain central to the seminary’s curriculum. Beyond the classroom, the chair will facilitate public lectures, retreats and resources designed for clergy, congregations and community leaders.
“The formation of faithful leaders requires us to attend both to the life of the mind and the life of faith,” said the Rev. Dr. Teresa Smallwood, vice president for academic affairs and dean. “We need leaders who can think deeply and systematically, engage the moral and ethical questions of their time, and bring that discernment into the Church and the world. The Hoffman Chair strengthens our capacity to form those kinds of leaders.”
As ULS enters its third century, the seminary continues to emphasize the necessity of theological rigor combined with spiritual practice. The endowment ensures that the intersection of spirituality and ethics will remain a foundational pillar of its educational program in perpetuity.
For more information on the Bengt Runo Hoffman Chair of Lutheran Spirituality and Ethics, visit https://www.
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About United Lutheran Seminary
Founded in 1826, United Lutheran Seminary is the oldest Lutheran seminary in the Americas and is marking its bicentennial in 2026. Formed in 2017 through the merger of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, ULS prepares leaders for Christian ministry through theological education, spiritual formation and public engagement. An affiliate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ULS equips students to serve the church and the world for generations to come.
