Tom Rank

Tom Rank serves as an Associate Professor in the Religion Department at Bethany Lutheran College (BLC), where he has taught fulltime since 2018 after 12 years as an adjunct professor. Prior to academia, he served as a pastor in five congregations across northern Minnesota and Iowa for over 30 years, combining pastoral experience with theological scholarship.

His educational credentials include:

• A.A. from Bethany Lutheran College
• B.A. in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota
• M.Div. from Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary
• STM in Pastoral Theology, Catechetics & Liturgics from Concordia Theological Seminary

Rank's research centers on Lutheran theology and historical studies, with current work examining Article X of the Formula of Concord, Church Rites, and Adiaphora. His teaching reflects deep expertise in Old Testament history, Reformation theology, and American Lutheranism through courses like RELG 335 – The Lutheran Confessions and RELG 480 – Lutheranism in America, emphasizing primary source analysis and confessional traditions.

As Chair of Religious Studies, he oversees departmental operations while maintaining active engagement with Lutheran ecclesiastical traditions. Outside academia, he pursues military history (particularly Eastern Front studies), Scandinavian noir literature, fantasy genres including lifelong Tolkien scholarship, and fly-fishing across diverse ecosystems.