Manuel R. Rauchholz

Dr. Manuel R. Rauchholz serves as Director of the PhD program in Intercultural Studies and Associate Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), part of Trinity International University. His academic leadership focuses on developing cross-cultural ministry leaders through advanced research and contextual engagement.

His educational background includes:

• DPhil in Cultural Anthropology, University of Heidelberg
• ThM in Missions and Evangelism, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
• Protestant Theology studies at Krelingen Baptist Seminary, University of Heidelberg, and University of Tübingen

Dr. Rauchholz's research centers on cultural anthropology with emphasis on kinship systems, migration patterns, and legal anthropology, alongside critical ethical investigations into human trafficking, sexual exploitation, human rights frameworks, economic development models, and environmental ethics. His foundational fieldwork among the Chuukese of Micronesia informs his analysis of adoption practices, personhood constructs, and emotional dynamics within cultural systems.

His notable recognition includes:

• Frobenius Research Award (2011) for doctoral dissertation on Chuukese adoption norms

Dr. Rauchholz has secured over $2.5 million in research funding since 2010 from diverse sources including the US Department of State (via National District Attorney’s Association), University of Heidelberg, European Union (with University of St. Andrews), and US Department of the Interior (through Chuuk State Department of Education). He has mentored master's students at Heidelberg and taught as adjunct professor at Internationale Hochschule Liebenzell (Germany), Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (Seoul), and University of Guam, specializing in Social Science Research Methods, Anthropology, and Missions.