Dr. theol., University of Marburg
MA, Dr. theol, hon., University of Geneva
Dr. theol., hon., Humboldt Unversity, Berlin

Helmut Koester began teaching at HDS in 1958 and became John H. Morison Research Professor of Divinity and Winn Research Professor of Ecclesiastical History in 2000. His research is primarily in the areas of New Testament interpretation, history of early Christianity, and archaeology of the early Christian period. His publications include Synoptische Überlieferung bei den Apostolischen Vätern (1957); (with James M. Robinson) Trajectories Through Early Christianity (1971); Ancient Christian Gospels (1990); History, Culture, and Religion of the Hellenistic Age (1995); History and Literature of Early Christianity (2000); The Cities of Paul: Images and Interpretations From the Harvard Archaeology Project (CD-ROM, 2004); Paul and His World: Interpreting the New Testament in Its Context (2007); and From Jesus to the Gospels (2007). From 1975 to 1999 he was editor of Harvard Theological Review, and he is co-editor and chair of the New Testament editorial board of "Hermeneia: A Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible." He is an ordained minister of the Lutheran Church, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Society of Biblical Literature (president 1991), and of the Societas Novi Testamenti Studiorum.