Dean of Faculty, Rolf Jacobson, is the Professor of Old Testament and the Alvin N. Rogness Chair of Scripture, Theology, and Ministry, joined the Luther Seminary faculty in 2003.  Prior to that, he served on the faculty of Augsburg University and as Associate Pastor of Como Park Lutheran Church (St. Paul, Minnesota).

Known for his humor and faithful biblical interpretation, Jacobson is an in-demand preacher and teacher.  With Craig Koester, he developed and supports the Narrative Lectionary.  He enjoys collaborating with other teachers and pastors.  His collaborative projects include The Book of Psalms (NICOT; with Beth Tanner and Nancy deClaissé-Walford), Invitation to the Psalms (with Karl Jacobson), Crazy Talk: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Theological Terms (with five fellow Luther Seminary graduates), and Crazy Book: A Not-So-Stuffy Dictionary of Biblical Terms(with Hans Wiersma and Karl Jacobon). He is also the author of The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the Old Testament: Israel’s In-Your-Face, Holy God. His scholarly interests include the Psalms, prophets, biblical theology, biblical narrative, and preaching the Old Testament.

His voice can be heard on two weekly preaching podcasts, “Sermon Brainwave” and “The Narrative Lectionary,” as well as singing the high lonesome with a Lutheran bluegrass band, “The Fleshpots of Egypt.”

A survivor childhood cancer, he is a double, above-the-knee amputee, who generally wears a bicycle and a smile.  He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with his beloved wife Amy, their children Ingrid and Gunnar, and a cat who thinks he is a dog. He is a loyal friend, lifelong sufferer of Minnesota sports, and committed board-game geek.

Jacobson earned a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas, an M.Div. from Luther Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.