Dr. David Lauber ’89 Appointed Wheaton College Dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies

August 5, 2019

Wheaton College Associate Professor of Theology Dr. David Lauber is appointed the College’s Dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies. He began this new position on August 1.

Dr. David Lauber headshotOn August 1, Dr. David Lauber became the Dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies (BTS) at Wheaton College.

“We are honored that Dr. David Lauber has agreed to serve Wheaton College as the dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies,” said Wheaton College Provost Dr. Margaret Diddams. “Dr. Lauber’s strong theological grounding coupled with a deep humility, integrity, and authenticity have been invaluable to the College over his nearly two decades of service, and we look forward to his gifts of vision-casting and leadership as he helms this important School.” 

As dean for the School of BTS, Dr. Lauber will oversee the B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies, the B.A. in Biblical Archaeology, the M.A. in Theology, the M.A. in Old Testament Archaeology, the M.A. in History of Christianity, the M.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies, the M.A. in Biblical Exegesis, and the Ph.D. in Biblical and Theological Studies.

In his new position, Dr. Lauber looks forward to building on the strengths of BTS as it contributes to the mission of the College.

“One of my goals is to help foster a common mission for the School of BTS, while honoring and supporting the unique ways individual faculty members live out their academic vocations in service of the College, the wider academic world, and the mission of the church,” Dr. Lauber said. “I hope to help cultivate the conditions in which faculty members can thrive as scholars, teachers, and mentors, as we serve students through the Christ at the Core curriculum and our undergraduate major, and as we provide excellent and distinctive graduate theological education, through our M.A. and Ph.D. programs.”

Joining the Wheaton College faculty in 2000, Dr. Lauber has served the College as a committed classroom teacher for nearly two decades, during which time his students have described him as genuine, kind, caring and wise. Dr. Lauber’s courses range from the First Year Seminar to the Senior Seminar for biblical and theological studies majors. He also teaches Christian Thought, Christian Ethics, and other specialized courses in Christian doctrine. During the 2012-2013 academic year, he was awarded the Leland Ryken Award for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities.

Dr. Lauber was also an invaluable member of the steering committee that developed and implemented the Christ at the Core curriculum.

He is the author of Barth on the Descent into Hell: God, Atonement, and the Christian Life. Dr. Lauber has co-edited five books, including Theology Questions Everyone Asks: Christian Faith in Plain Language and the T. & T. Clark Companion to the Doctrine of Sin. He is also the author of multiple articles and essays. Currently, he is researching the role of patience as exhibited in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Christian virtue.

Dr. Lauber is a 1989 graduate of Wheaton College, where he studied philosophy and English literature. During his time at the College, he also ran track and played football—at one point making a record-setting 98-yard touchdown catch. By the end of his college football career, he had made the second-most receptions in Wheaton history and is now listed in the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Honor. Dr. Lauber was also involved in the Youth Hostel Ministry, serving as its chair his senior year.

He completed an M.A. in theology at Yale Divinity School and earned a Ph.D. in systematic theology at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Dr. Lauber is married to Dawn Holt Lauber ’90, who is the worship director at Northbrook Covenant Church. The Laubers have three children: Caroline ’19, Andrew ’21, and Bradley, who is 16 years old.—Emily Bratcher